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With 916 international wickets in hand, it was shocking when the great Wasim Akram announced his retirement after the 2003 World Cup.
The best left arm fast of all time said he knew when it was time to walk away. Akram revealed the moment and the person responsible for making him realize that it was time.
“It is a difficult decision, without a doubt. For any superior player, withdrawing from the sport is always difficult. But everything has a time limit,” Wasim told Aakash Chopra during a YouTube chat.
“In my case, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made the decision very easy for me since they abandoned me. Every day it was a pain to go to the game. I wasn’t enjoying it and I thought it was a sign. I spoke to my late wife, who was in Pakistan at the time. She said to me, “Wasim, if your heart is not there and if you are cursing every day, it means it is time.” And I knew it was time to go. “
However, since then, a lot has changed for cricket in Pakistan. They won two ICC championships, however Pakistan’s cricket as a whole was and is full of controversy and lack of performances.
While Pakistan was still struggling, its rivals, India, grew stronger and stronger. When Akram was asked about the difference between the PCB and the Cricket Control Board in India (BCCI), he said it all boils down to improving the First Class structure.
Whoever came to the cricket board came with a short-term goal. There was no first-class structure fixation. What has been going on for the past 30 years, they did nothing different. So that’s the reason. There is a lot of talent in Pakistan. FC’s structure has now finally changed, but it still takes 3-4 years for it to show results, ”Akram said.
“What did India do? The money generated by the Indian Premier League (IPL) wholeheartedly invested in first-class cricket. They changed the FC structure, the payment structure, everything. They brought professionals: they have the best physios and coaches in the world. Former cricketers from India have become good coaches. Then, in turn, they have employed individual trainers, which is the need of the hour. So that’s where the difference is. “
