Wasim Akram has a simple suggestion for the critics of Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq: get off his back and let him continue playing for as long as he wants.
The pace legend, one of the most successful bowlers in Tests and One Day International, was in Dubai recently for a talk show along with India’s Sachin Tendulkar – ‘Cricket and Beyond’ – and spoke to Sport360 ahead of Pakistan’s Test series against England which starts in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
While Pakistan cricket has been grappling with several issues, inc-luding the fact that three of their top spinners – Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Hafeez and Bilal Asif – have been called for suspect bowling action in the past couple of years, the position of two senior cricketers in the team – Misbah and Younis Khan – has often been questioned and criticised by fans and media.
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Misbah retired from one day internationals after the World Cup earlier this year, while Younis courted controversy recently when he questioned the wisdom of the selectors in not picking him up for the ODIs against Zimbabwe.
But Akram felt Misbah should be allowed to play Test cricket as long as he wants.
“He led this Pakistan team when they were in trouble four-five years ago, and performed,” said Akram.
“Every Pakistani calls him ‘tuk-tuk’ for his slow batting, but with the batting line-up we have, I am glad he is there and holding it up.
“He is 41 but he is still as fit as any of the younger players in team.
“My contention is, with players like Misbah and Younis, it is their decision when they want to retire. If they are physically fit, if they still have the passion for the game, and if they are still scoring runs, they can carry on as long as they want.
“Why are we, especially in the subcontinent, so concerned about when a player is going to retire? I have only one thing to say to them – mind your own business and let these players play and retire when they think they are ready to do so.”
As for Younis’ recent outburst and his place in the ODI team, Akram said: “Younis Khan is a very different individual. He is a very nice guy and a thorough professional. He gets annoyed sometimes, and that’s fair enough. This was one such occasion when he got a bit angry.
“But given his seniority and what he has done for Pakistan cricket, I think Younis is at a stage where the selectors need to speak to him. They need to tell him their plans and take him into confidence.
“I reckon he is good enough to play one day cricket for Pakistan, especially after our batting failures recently against Zimbabwe.”
