Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistani Skipper Wasim Akram believes pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi is a great talent. The sultan of swing said that the young pacer would take many wickets for Pakistan.

The legendary former pacer praised the talent possessed by the young Shaheen and said that “Shaheen Afridi is earning fame through his bowling. He swings the new ball at pace in both directions. He is tall and can generate bounce. He has a better sense of bowling and knows what length to bowl at. He has situational awareness while bowling. I think he is a great talent, and going forward, he will take a lot of wickets for Pakistan,” cricketpakistan.com.pk quoted him as saying.

Akram also rubbished concerns regarding Shaheen getting burnt out from playing too much cricket. The 54-year-old believed that just because Australia was adopting rotation policy didn’t mean Pakistan had to follow suit.

“I think he should be asked if he even needs rest. We can’t just copy the world. Look, Australia is resting its players, so we should as well. Our culture is very different. Our mindset is very different,” Akram said.

“I still feel that if he keeps bowling and playing sensibly, it’s not like crazy cricket. He is just playing for Pakistan in all three formats. His bowling is getting stronger, and he is gaining awareness and a sound mentality. He doesn’t play county cricket, so this cricket is very important for him, especially during these early years. I don’t think there is anything to this burnout issue. I think he is only going to get better,” he said.

Speaking about the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Akram, who was also the Karachi Kings President, said that he preferred to give local Pakistani players a chance rather than draft overseas players for the remaining matches of PSL season six.

He also believed that this would be like a new tournament because of the new environment and conditions on offer. “Ideally, our performance should remain the same, but it is humanly impossible. We were on top around three to four months back. That was when the PSL got postponed. This is now kind of a new tournament. It will be played in a new environment and a new pitch. I think 20 matches will be played on one ground, including the playoffs, if I am not mistaken. It will definitely impact the square eventually,” he added.

“It will also be hot. It is 40 today, and I think it will be 45 or 46 (degrees) during the day of dry heat. The teams will have to acclimatise. Not just Karachi Kings, but every player will have to acclimatise. Our player from New Zealand, Martin Guptill, is coming from a place that has winters right now. Imagine him coming from the winter weather into this intense heat, so it will take some time to adjust,” he said.