Highlights:
- Former Pakistani skipper Wasim Akram unhappy with IPL
- Akram says “Sports shouldn’t be a victim of politics” and wants Pakistani youngsters to be a part of IPL
- Akram also speak of how Indian players should join PSL
It is the 13th year since the Indian Premier League was launched (2008) and the fans have celebrated the fact that crickets from different countries come together and play in the same team.
The first season of the Indian Premier League saw huge participation from the Pakistani players which included the likes of Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar, Sohail Tanvir, and Umar Gul who turned out for their respective franchises.
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However, that was not only the first time but also the last time any cricketer from Pakistan played in IPL. From the 2009 edition, the participation of Pakistani cricketers was banned due to political tensions between the two countries.
The ban led to many players from both countries to miss out playing in their respective T20 leagues. The IPL grew leaps and bounds with several cricketing nations putting special focus on the participation of their players in the league, however, the Indian cricketers have maintained their distance from the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
As players from several nations including Australia, England, New Zealand, and West Indies have enjoyed the experience and knowledge they have gained from playing in the IPL, Pakistani youngsters have missed out completely.
The former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram is unhappy with the fact that the Pakistan youngsters are missing out on the chance to play and gain experience from the IPL and in fact, even wants to see the Indian cricketers to play in the PSL.
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Wasim Akram was quoted by ANI as saying, “I have always believed that sports shouldn’t be a victim of politics but that is a government subject of both countries and it won’t be apt for me to say anything.”
Akram added, “But as you said in the question itself, yes IPL is one of the most competitive domestic leagues in the cricketing world and I wish Pakistan youngsters get to be a part of it and I also wish to see Indian players playing in PSL”.
Wasim Akram also drew comparisons between Virat Kohli and Babar Azam and wished that the Pakistani skipper could come a lot more consistent like his Indian counterpart.
Akram said, “I wouldn’t like to make any comparison but having said that, I would like to add that Babar Azam is an exceptional talent, he has shown his excellence in all formats, but in patches. I would be very happy if he can see the comparison positively and becomes consistent in his performance like Kohli,”.
