Wasim Akram has heaped praise on India’s young batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi while taking a swipe at the Pakistan Super League’s record of developing batting talent. The Pakistan legend compared the progress of the PSL with the Indian Premier League and suggested that Pakistan needs to do more to produce young batters capable of making an impact at the international level.
At just 15 years of age, Sooryavanshi has quickly become one of the most talked-about young cricketers. Following two impressive seasons in the IPL, he received his first opportunity to represent India against England, becoming the youngest international debutant.
Akram has experience of working in both franchise leagues. He served as the bowling coach and mentor of Kolkata Knight Riders between 2010 and 2017, helping the franchise win two IPL titles. He has also worked with several PSL teams, including Islamabad United, Multan Sultans and Karachi Kings.
Reflecting on the PSL’s development, Akram questioned whether the tournament has managed to produce a top-class batting prospect in its first 10 years. “It has been 10 years since the PSL started, but has a single batter been produced by the PSL? Yes, we have produced a few bowlers, but tell me, have we produced any noteworthy batting talent?” he said in an interview with YouTuber Furqan Bhatti.
Akram pointed to Sooryavanshi as the kind of young batting talent Pakistan needs to develop. He believes producing players of that quality could help bring greater improvement to Pakistan cricket.
The former Pakistan pacer also called for a revival of club cricket, arguing that it remains an important source of young talent. He urged the Pakistan Cricket Board to invest heavily in club cricket in Karachi and Lahore, saying that the country’s future talent can emerge from the grassroots system.
His comments come at a difficult time for Pakistan cricket. The national team has already lost the first two Tests against England and is now facing the prospect of a 3-0 series defeat. Pakistan are also struggling in the third and final Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
