‘I knew we were going to lose 3-0’: Wasim Akram tears into Pakistan’s cricket preparation

Pakistan great Wasim Akram believes the crisis engulfing the country’s cricket system is so deep-rooted that even he cannot fix it himself, pointing to problems that range from the national team to the domestic structure.The former Pakistan captain said the team’s struggles cannot be blamed on a single person or department, with shortcomings evident in batting, bowling and fielding, as well as instability in first-class cricket.Akram said he expected Pakistan to struggle badly in their ongoing Test series in England due to weaknesses within the side.“I knew we were going to lose three nil before the start of the Test series in England because of the glaring problems in our batting and bowling,” he said.Pakistan’s problems were exposed again on the opening day of the third Test. After releasing seven players from the original squad, the visitors were forced to make four changes and fielded three debutants.Asked to bat first on an overcast day, they quickly found themselves in trouble. Pakistan lost their first four wickets in the opening hour, three more before lunch before the innings ended at just 133 in the 34th over.The first five batters were scored in single digits. Saud Shakeel offered some resistance with a positive 43, while Abbas was Pakistan’s second-highest scorer with 21.England’s Ollie Robinson and Jofra Archer took three wickets each to make it Pakistan’s best four, while Josh Tongue continued his impressive form with four wickets.However, Akram believes the problems go beyond what is happening in the current Test series.The legendary fast bowler said he was regularly asked if he could step in and help Pakistan cricket, but argued the scale of the problems made it impossible for one individual to provide a solution.“I keep getting the question, ‘Can you do anything to help Pakistan cricket?’ But the problems are much deeper. These are the top players, there is nothing else. There are no systems under that,” he said.Akram particularly highlighted the lack of consistency and patience in Pakistan’s domestic cricket set-up. He believes constant change and instability at first-class level has contributed to the failure to develop enough quality players for the national team.He also criticized the Pakistan Cricket Board’s inconsistent decision-making, stating that the problems have accumulated throughout the cricketing ecosystem rather than being limited to selection calls, coaches or dressing room decisions.“Our batting is struggling, our bowling is below average and our fielding is worse. It’s not rocket science,” Akram said.Pakistan’s current performances are therefore a reflection of wider structural problems, according to the former fast bowler. He emphasized that responsibility for the team’s decline rests with many stakeholders and cannot simply be placed on the players or coaching staff.For Akram, the immediate problems are visible in England, but fixing Pakistan cricket will require more stability and patience much further down the system.