ISLAMABAD - Former captain Wasim Akram feels pacer M Amir can become the world-beater saying he has the age and a bright future ahead.
Akram said Amir was young and could still have a bright future. "I think he should concentrate on domestic cricket for a full season before he thinks about playing international cricket again," he said.
Akram said Amir must perform in domestic cricket and should regain his confidence. "Amir should get some matches under his belt and get some wickets and then come back to international cricket," he said adding Amir made a mistake and admitted it, so give him another chance and let's move on.
Speaking about future of Saeed Ajmal in international cricket, Akram said Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan played in his forties so there is no reason why Ajmal couldn’t make a comeback. "Ajmal has been a fantastic servant for Pakistan cricket and as long as he is taking wickets then there is no reason why he cannot play for Pakistan once again," he said. Akram said the most important thing though is whether Ajmal was comfortable with his new action and whether he could be effective with the revised bowling action.
Talking about Younus Khan, Akram said Younus didn’t get the recognition in world cricket that he deserved. "Younus is as good as any player in the world when it comes to Test cricket. If you talk about the current great Test batsmen such as AB deVilliers, Virat Kohli, Michael Clarke or Steve Smith then Younus deserves to be mentioned," he said. Akram said Younus had so many batting records and he was a true ambassador when it came to Pakistan cricket. "Younus is a great, honest and hardworking guy. His performance speaks for itself and as a Pakistani, I am very proud of him and his achievements," he said.
Commenting on pace bowlers in Pakistan, Akram said that Pakistan's pace bowling talent would never stop.
"We need to channel these fast bowlers and make sure we make full use of our academies and the facilities they provide," he said.
Akram said academies should be available in major cities and not just in Lahore. "The PCB needs to ensure that they invest in the academies as well as our up and coming cricketers as they are the future," he concluded.