Published 15:20 IST, June 5th 2020
Sachin Tendulkar ranked 'below' Inzamam, Lara in Wasim Akram's top 5 batsmen of all-time
Former Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram recently named Brian Lara, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Sachin Tendulkar in his top five greatest batsmen of all-time list.
- SportFit
- 3 min read
Former Pakistan cricket captain Wasim Akram recently interacted with his yesteryear teammate Basit Ali on the latter’s YouTube channel. In the video, the legendary pacer can be seen discussing about the quality of talent as seen in popular T20 tournaments like the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Pakistan Super League (PSL). The 104-Test veteran also listed down his choice of top five greatest batsmen of all time.
Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara find themselves in Wasim Akram’s top five batsmen
Wasim Akram picked the likes of legendary West Indies batsmen Viv Richards and Brian Lara in his top five list. He also picked his former teammate Inzamam-ul-Haq and former New Zealand captain, late Martin Crowe. Even though the Indian batting icon Sachin Tendulkar is statistically more accomplished than all of the above four batters, Wasim Akram surprisingly listed the ‘Master Blaster’ at No.5 in his top batsmen list.
Wasim Akram kept Viv Richards at the top and stated that the legendary West Indian is the most technically sound and impactful batsman he has ever seen in his life. The pacer also praised his No.2 pick, Martin Crowe, by saying that the New Zealander was an excellent batsman who was brilliant in countering reverse-swing. Wasim Akram then expressed his words of admiration for former West Indies and Pakistan captains Brian Lara and Inzamam-ul-Haq, who stand at No.3 and 4 in the former fast bowler's list.
Wasim Akram said that bowling to Brian Lara was a difficult task and the left-hander was quite a distinct batsman altogether. When he asked why he kept his own countryman Inzamam-ul-Haq lower than the others at No.4, the “Sultan of Swing” revealed that he has not played enough cricket against the batsman since both of them represented their national team during their playing days.
The left-arm pacer also mentioned why he kept India’s Sachin Tendulkar at No.5 even though the cricketer is widely recognised as the greatest batsman of all time. He stated that he did not bowl to the right-hander enough in Test matches, which is why he cannot judge his batting abilities accordingly. He cited the fact that it was after 10 years since Sachin Tendulkar’s debut when he finally got a chance to bowl to him in Test cricket.
Wasim Akram praises Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara among others, watch video
Sachin Tendulkar names Wasim Akram among his favourite bowlers
A few years ago, Sachin Tendulkar was involved in an interview where he was asked to name his favourite bowler. While the former cricketer did not have any specific choice, he did pick the likes of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Glenn McGrath, Muttiah Muralitharan and Anil Kumble among others.
Updated 15:20 IST, June 5th 2020