"The way the batters insult bowlers these days, I wouldn't have tolerated that"- Shoaib Akhtar on him playing in T20 leagues
Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar believes that it was good he retired before the T20 franchise leagues took center stage in world cricket with the shortest format gradually garnering more attention. Akhtar was one of the most impactful fast bowlers of his time.
The former pacer claimed that he would have been livid had he been smashed to all parts of the ground, as most bowlers are on several occasions in modern-day white-ball cricket.
Here's what Shoaib Akhtar had to say to the Hindustan Times about the matter:
"Thank god I'm not playing in this era! The way the batters insult bowlers these days, I wouldn't have tolerated that. Having said that, it would've been difficult. I used to get warm-up in four overs. In a season, I used to bowl around 800-900 overs. I would've played around 20 leagues in a season."
Akhtar is the Brand Ambassador of the ILT20 2024 played in the UAE. He also played 38 T20 games in his career, picking up 44 wickets. The former speedster was a part of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League.
Shoaib Akhtar on players prioritizing T20 leagues
There has been a lot of talk about some big names prioritizing playing in the T20 leagues over representing their country in recent years. The debate rose from the fact that the T20 leagues are financially lucrative for players against the pride of representing one's nation in international cricket.
Shoaib Akhtar gave his take on the matter, saying that he completely understands why players want to financially secure their future.
On this, he stated:
"The players now have to plan their year according to their national team and the league schedules at the same time. It is difficult for the players to manage their careers because they are playing way too much T20 cricket. But this is the way forward, right? And this is the way forward for broadcasters. Because they are demanding the shortest format of cricket."
Shoaib Akhtar feels that the rise of T20 leagues around the world will eventually help spread the game of cricket to a wider audience. He looked at the shortest format as a medium to get more countries interested in cricket and eventually raise the bar for competition among teams.