Pakistani cricket has produced a lot of great talents over the years. A lot of them have done well and have brought glory to their country. One such name is pacer Wasim Akram, who is a legend of the game, not just for his country but around the glove. He has done it all in world cricket and is well respected as a commentator and a Pundit.
Keeping that in mind, recently, Wasim Akram picked his favourites to win the T20 World Cup. The shocking part of his selection was that he did not pick Pakistan in his list. Being a former Pakistani cricketer, that was rather shocking for his fans. Also, the team has been doing really well in recent times and have some of the best players in the world.
Despite that, Akram had other ideas and that would have not gone down well with the Pakistani fans. He gave his reasons as well, though they would still not pacify some fans.
What Did Wasim Akram Exactly Say And Whom Did He Pick As Favourites To Win The T20 World Cup?
In a recent interview with ARY news, Wasim Akram picked four teams as favourites for the tournament that could be soon moved to the UAE. Though, the initial venue was India, it seems that the pandemic may see things being shifted abroad.
Akram said, “I suppose, between the main teams, India appear favourites this time. They play the fearless brand of T20 cricket. England is also at the top of the current ladder. I think New Zealand too should be one of the contenders. You never know about the West Indies. If their main players are in, they have a tendency to scare a lot of teams”
Wasim Akram further talked about why the Babar Azam-led side will not be a contender. He said they needed to give more attention to their team combination. That is, in order to select the best possible XI and have a chance at the tournament. This is something that they haven’t been able to do yet.
Akram added, “Pakistan need to work on their team combination and get it right. Obviously, being a Pakistani, I would want my team to win the World Cup. That will be a dream come true for all of us. Especially for the young captain. For that to happen, they need to improve their combination, find the best XI, they can fight. The problem of No. 5 and No. 6 needs to be solved.”
What About The Venue Of The Tournament; How Will That Impact The Competition?
If the tournament is still held in India, it gives the hosts an advantage surely. They will want to focus on doing the basics right and will have the advantage of knowing the conditions really well. This makes a lot of sense to put them as favourites.
However, the conditions in the UAE could favour other teams as well. The pitches there are at times quite different and the atmosphere could play a major part as well. It will be interesting to see whether the Pakistani team can address the issues pointed out by Wasim Akram or not. If they do that, then things could surely be different for them as well.
