Wasim Akram says no better captain than Imran Khan

KARACHI: Pakistan’s former captain and legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram does not agree on drawing a comparison between Imran Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq.

“There is no comparison between the two. Misbah has a better winning record but I have never seen a captain like Imran Khan. He is a brilliant leader and my mentor,” Wasim said during Geo Pakistan morning show.

The ‘Swing ka Sultan’ said there is no other player better suited to captaining the Test team after Misbah’s retirement than Sarfraz Ahmed, who currently leads Pakistan in ODIs and T20s.

Read: Misbah announces retirement from Test cricket

Criticising Pakistan’s performance in the second Test against the West Indies, Wasim placed the burden of the embarrassing defeat on bowlers saying that the hosts should not have been allowed to pile on runs in the first place.

He praised Mohammad Amir’s bowling but stressed that the pacer needs to work harder on bowling against tail-enders.

Wasim Akram guest-starred at Geo Pakistan morning show, May 9, 2017

The former captain expressed optimism that the team would get a wakeup call ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy, scheduled to be held in England and Wales in June. He said the entire nation is hoping for the Green Shirts to defeat India in the high-voltage game on June 4.

Responding to a question about his Australian wife and his two sons, Wasim said Shaniera Akram is learning about Pakistani culture, and one of his sons plays rugby in the United States.

He emphasised the importance of sports, especially in today’s digital era where children are increasingly ditching physical sports for mobile gadgets.

“I tell my children nothing can be achieved without hard work,” he said.

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shahryar Khan had stirred a debate last week when he had called Misbah a better captain than Imran Khan.

Read: Shahryar Khan says media ‘grossly exaggerated’ remarks on Imran-Misbah comparison

Imran Khan led Pakistan to their only World Cup victory in 1992 before retirement. Misbah is Pakistan’s most successful Test captain ever, and will play his last international match beginning May 10.