IPL does not have the same quality of fast bowlers as PSL; Wasim Akram makes bold claim

Pakistan legend Wasim Akram is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. Nicknamed the ‘Sultan of Swing’, the pacer is considered to be one of the first in the world to have mastered the art of reverse swing bowling. Even though Wasim Akram retired in 2003, the 104-Test veteran continues his association with the game by expressing his opinions through commentary gigs and appearances on cricket shows. Quite recently, the 1992 World Cup winner spoke about the standard of bowling in popular T20 tournaments like the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Pakistan Super League (PSL).

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Wasim Akram discusses talents in IPL and PSL

Earlier this week, Wasim Akram interacted with his former teammate Basit Ali on the latter’s YouTube channel. In the video, the pacer said that a lot of overseas cricketers with whom he has worked with in PSL have stated that the quality of bowling in PSL is much better than that on exhibition in the IPL. Akram further said overseas players, especially batsmen, have told him that they are able to target at least one bowler per innings while facing any IPL franchise. However, he revealed that this has not been the case for them while facing PSL bowling line-ups.

Apart from exploring the opinion of overseas players, Wasim Akram also stated that it is unfair to compare the two leagues. He believes PSL has just started out while IPL is a 12-year old tournament and there is a lot more money involved in the Indian T20 league. However, Akram maintained that PSL is the second-best T20 competition in the world after IPL.

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Wasim Akram speaks about bowling in IPL and PSL, watch video

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Wasim Akram in PSL and IPL

Over the years, Wasim Akram has worked with several PSL and IPL franchises. While he is currently serving as the Chairman and bowling coach of Karachi Kings, he was previously associated with Islamabad United as their Director and bowling coach for the 2016 and 2017 seasons. Wasim Akram also worked as the bowling coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL from 2010 till 2016. During his tenure with KKR, the franchise won the 2012 and 2014 editions of the tournament.

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