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'ICC has successfully finished cricket in the last 10 years': Shoaib Akhtar on playing conditions for bowlers

Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar is known to be very vocal, especially when it comes to something he disagrees with. During a conversation with Sanjay Manjrekar, Akhtar scathed criticism on ICC and how they 'successfully finished cricket in the last 10 years and brought it down to its knees'.

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Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar is known to be very vocal, especially when it comes to something he disagrees with. During a conversation with Sanjay Manjrekar, Akhtar scathed criticism on ICC and how they 'successfully finished cricket in the last 10 years and brought it down to its knees'.

Akhtar spoke about some of the playing conditions in white-ball cricket, which has made it a batsman's game. 

The criticism came after Manjrekar, who was part of the ESPNcricinfo’s podcast asked for his take on a trend that fast bowlers are going a bit slow in limited-overs games, especially T20s, while spinners are bowling faster.

“Can I tell you something bluntly? They (ICC) are finishing the cricket. I am openly saying that in the last 10 years, ICC has successfully finished cricket, and I would say job well done guys. Jo socha thaa apne woh kiya (You did what you intended to),” Akhtar said.

Akhtar also feels that the number of bouncers per over should be increased. “I have been saying repeatedly that change bouncer rule (one per over). You have two new balls and four fielders outside. Please ask ICC whether, in the last 10 years, the quality of cricket has gone up or gone down. Where are those Sachin versus Shoaib contests?”

Speaking about Tendulkar, Akhtar said that he is one with whom he never got aggressive. “But yes, I would try to outthink him. Like in the 2006 tour of Pakistan, I knew he had tennis elbow problems and he can’t hook or pull me, so I bowled a barrage of bouncers to keep him quiet,” Akhtar said.

Akhtar also spoke about Virat Kohli and that the Indian skipper would have found it difficult to play the pull shot against him. “I would have come wide off the crease and tried to shape that new ball out and lured him into driving. Something that James Anderson has done with him. Having said that he would have scored as many runs as he scored now had I also played.”

Manjrekar also asked him whether the culture of producing tearaway quicks is still there in Pakistan and Akhtar replied, “People like me should have been in PCB and I would have produced fast bowlers. Fast bowlers should be like leopards which would hunt down its prey. “I would have produced 12 fast bowlers and prepared them on every aspect, technique, mannerism, studies, diet, what to do with the body.

“I would have built a complete brand. You don’t get fast bowlers from people who are by nature ghulaam (subservient).”

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