Former Pakistan cricket team captain Wasim Akram.
Credit: X/@wasimakramlive
Former Pakistan cricket team captain Wasim Akram did not hold back his ire after Pakistan suffered an eight-wicket loss to Afghanistan in the ICC World Cup.
Akram categorised the performance as 'embarrassing' while speaking to A Sports.
"It was embarrassing today. To reach 280-odd losing just two wickets is pretty big. Wet pitch or no, look at the fielding, the fitness levels. We've been screaming for the last 3 weeks that these players haven't undergone a fitness test in the last two years. If I start taking individual names, their faces will drop. Looks like these guys are eating 8 kilos of mutton everyday. Should there not be tests," he said.
Akram added, "Professionally you guys are getting paid, playing for your country. There has to be a certain criteria. Misbah, when he was coach, had that criteria. Players hated him but it worked. Fielding is all about fitness and that's where we are lacking. Now we have reached that same position, where we will pray for ifs and buts to happen."
He also targeted the country's cricketing board and some of its decisions.
Akram said "We were excited we were No. 1 but man, come on! Last 6-8 months, we had one chairman. And once he came on board for 3-4 months, he straightaway changed the coaching staff. We reached the final last year. But out of the blue he came and shuffled things around. 'Get him out, throw this person out. Get your own guys in'. You guys are seniors, elder to me, but next time onward, please… whoever becomes the chairman, think about the nation. Wasim Khan and Ehsan Mani had worked so hard to get the high-performance centre together and build a system. They changed that too and made it into a National Coaching Centre. Not a single camp has been held there for 8 months. Why do you have to make unnecessary changes? Just leave it."
His visible irritation comes on the heels of a hattrick of defeats Pakistan had suffered, with Afghanistan handing Babar Azam's boys the latest.
Pakistan face South Africa next in their World Cup campaign.