'Bowling standards are higher in PSL than IPL,' says Wasim Akram
Wasim Akram has said that the top foreign players he has spoken to have rated the bowling attacks in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) higher than those of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
In a freewheeling chat with Basit Ali on the latter's YouTube channel, Wasim Akram talked about a variety of topics including the comparison between the IPL and the PSL. He also ranked the greatest batsmen he bowled to during his playing days.
When asked to compare between the IPL and PSL, the former Pakistan captain said that it is premature to compare the two leagues.
"It is not fair to compare PSL and ISL. PSL has just started, it is just its 5th year. It was the first time this year that the tournament was played entirely in Pakistan and we realised how big a tournament it is. IPL is matured, it has been played for the last 11-12 years and lot more money is involved," said Akram.
Wasim Akram was the bowling coach of Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. He has also been part of the coaching setups of Islamabad United, Multan Sultans and Karachi Kings in the PSL for the last 5 years.
The following were his words regarding the quality of the bowling attacks in the two leagues:
"I asked the top foreigner players of all teams of the difference they felt in the bowling attacks between IPL and PSL. They all felt that the PSL bowling is much stronger. You might get an odd bowler in each team in the IPL (they have 10 teams while we have 6) whom you can attack, but that is not the case in the PSL."
Wasim Akram added that the PSL franchise owners should be complimented for investing in the league even though it is not giving them returns financially.
We need to thank the owners and PCB for organizing the PSL, especially the owners who are promoting the game despite the losses they are incurring. I can say with confidence that PSL is the 2nd biggest T20 league in the world, next only to the IPL.
On being asked about the lack of upcoming talented batsmen in Pakistan, Wasim Akram attributed it to the lack of a proper junior and first-class structure in the country.
"The teams tried to include young batsmen, but they lacked confidence to play in such a big stadium and in front of a packed house. The Indian batsman have gained that confidence over the years. This starts at the under-19 and first-class level, which is lacking in Pakistan cricket. Whenever teams go for emerging players in the PSL, they prefer bowlers as they are confident that they can handle the pressure better."
Wasim Akram ranks the top batsmen he played against
Wasim Akram, who is regarded as one of the most lethal bowlers of all-time, was also asked to rank some of the greatest batsmen he played against - Vivian Richards, Martin Crowe, Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara and Inzamam-ul-Haq.
The left-arm seamer mentioned that it was a tough ask to pick between these giants of the game, but went for Sir Vivian Richards as his No. 1 pick.
"It is a very tough question. If I have to pick a batsman based on his technique, charisma and impact on the game, then there is only one name - Sir Vivian Richards. I have played against all greats from the 1980's to the 2000's, including Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden, but Viv Richards was a class apart."
Wasim Akram did not want to pass judgement on Tendulkar, who holds the record for most runs and centuries in Test cricket, as Waqar Younis and Akram himself had not bowled much to the Indian batting maestro during their heydays.
"I am keeping Sachin Tendulkar aside, since me and Waqar did not play Test cricket against him for 10 years. He came to Pakistan in 1989 and after that we only played Test cricket against him in 1999, although we did play few ODIs. No doubt he is one of the greats of the game, but I cannot judge him as a bowler because we didn't bowl to him at our peak."
He chose Martin Crowe as the next one in the pecking order, primarily due to the latter's ability to play reverse swing.
"So, I would keep Martin Crowe at No. 2 because of his technique. The way he played reverse swing in Pakistan was unbelievable, when no one in the World knew how to do so. When I asked him about his success, he mentioned that he would only play on the front foot for the inswing. He would not get out to the outswing as well that way and would only be beaten at the most. This frustrated us and then he would attack us when we bowled short or wide."
Wasim Akram picked the classy Brian Lara at No. 3 for his flamboyant approach to batting.
"At No. 3 is the Prince Brian Lara, very difficult to bowl to, as the bat would come from anywhere. I am not including Inzi since we have played very few matches against each other, but definitely one of the greats of the game. So Lara would be No.3 followed by Inzi and Sachin."
When asked to pick the best opposition bowlers during his playing days, Wasim Akram opted for Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Glenn McGrath and Allan Donald.
Basit Ali and Wasim Akram also remembered an occasion when Tendulkar pulled Akram for a mighty six after being hit on the head on the previous delivery.
"That is the sign of a great batsman, they pick the line and length early," Akram said about the incident.