"He Should Have Been Pakistan's Brian Lara, He Was Casual About His Fitness" - Wasim Akram On Saeed Anwar
Published - 09 Jan 2023, 05:41 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:15 AM
Former opener Saeed Anwar is widely considered one of the most explosive players in the history of Pakistan cricket. The Southpaw used to give electrifying starts with his graceful stroke play and exceptional timing across all formats. Former Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram described Anwar as a reluctant worker and a shallow thinker about the game in his official biography, Sultan: A Memoir.
Early in his career, Anwar was considered a white-ball player, but later he established himself in red-ball cricket as well. The left-handed batsman played 55 Tests and 247 ODIs for Pakistan, scoring 12,876 runs. He is a reliable opener, especially when Pakistan were facing India. His highest ODI score was 194 against India in Chennai in 1997, and he also scored 101 off 126 balls in the 2003 World Cup at Centurion.
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He Was Casual About His Fitness – Wasim Akram
Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram believes Saeed Anwar could have achieved more in his career. Akram said the opener could have been Pakistan’s Brian Lara if was not casual about his fitness.
“My only criticism of Saeed is that with his talent he should have been Pakistan’s Brian Lara – he was casual about his fitness, a reluctant worker, and a shallow thinker about the game,” noted Akram in his official biography Sultan: A Memoir.
Akram’s remark was in reference to the first Test between the arch-rivals, which was held at Eden Gardens in February 1999. Anwar was then dismissed for a duck in the first innings, but he remained unbeaten on 188 in the second innings as Pakistan won by 46 runs.
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