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Wasim Akram picks Inzamam-ul-Haq ahead of Sachin Tendulkar in his all time best

CricketWasim Akram picks Inzamam-ul-Haq ahead of Sachin Tendulkar in his all time best
Wasim Akram picks Inzimam ul Haq ahead of Sachin Tendulkar in his all time best . Pic/PCB

Surprising everyone with his pick Pakistan legend Wasim Akram has chosen Pakistan former batsman Inzamam ul Haq ahead of Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar in his all time list of top batsman.

Wasim Akram by former teammate Basit Ali on his YouTube show was given names of five batsmen and was asked Akram to rank them in terms of their overall ability in Test cricket.

Among those Akram picked the legendary West Indies batsman and former captain Sir Vivian Richards on the top spot.

“If you talk about a batsman with an unmatched technique, charisma and someone who had a huge impact on the game, it is Sir Vivian Richards. I have played against all the greats from mid-eighties to the nineties to the 2000s, but Viv Richards was a class apart,” Akram said.

He then spoke about Indian batting talisman Sachin Tendulkar. Akram said he can’t talk much about Sachin as he and his fast bowling partner Waqar Younis didn’t get a chance to bowl at Sachin in Test cricket when they were at the peak of their respective careers. 

“I am keeping Tendulkar aside from this list because we didn’t play Test cricket against him for 10 years. Waqar and I didn’t bowl to him for ten years in Test matches. He came to Pakistan in 1989 as a 16-year old and after that we played against him in 1999. 

“I bowled at him at Sharjah in ODIs but Test cricket is different. No doubt he is one of the greats of the game but as a bowler I didn’t bowl to him in my peak and that is why it is difficult for me to judge him,” Akram opined.

He went on to pick former New Zealand captain, the late Martin Crowe, in the second spot.

“At number two I will put Martin Crowe because of his sheer technique. At a time when the world had no idea about how to face reverse swing, he played against us. It was a series where Waqar picked up 30 wickets in three matches and I picked up 16 wickets in one and a half matches as I got injured. Crowe had scored two centuries in that series. 

“After the series I asked him how did you play me and Waqar so well. He said ‘I played you and Waqar on the front foot when you guys are bowling in swingers and I didn’t follow the ball that was swinging away and hence I didn’t edge it,” Akram said while remembering his conversation with Crowe.

He went on to pick Brian Lara in the third spot.

“At number three I will put ‘the prince’, Brian Lara. He was a quality batsman. He was very different and odd to bowl at. His bat would come from various directions. He was never settled and it was difficult to bowl to him,” Akram said.

Akram picked his former teammate Inzamam-ul-Haq in the fourth spot and kept Sachin Tendulkar at number five. For both Inzamam and Sachin, Akram said that he hadn’t bowled to either in the longer format much and hence he won’t be able to judge them as a bowler.

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