Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has criticized the Pakistan Super League (PSL) for failing to produce top-class batting talent. Akram cited India’s 15-year-old prospect Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as an example and questioned whether the PSL has produced enough quality batters for Pakistan’s national team.
Pakistan are going through a difficult period after back-to-back Test defeats against England. The losses led to a major mid-series squad overhaul, with several players and Test head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul sent home due to Pakistan’s batting and technical problems in English conditions.
Wasim Akram Questions PSL’s Failure to Produce Elite Batters
Wasim Akram questioned the PSL’s failure to produce a standout batter for the Pakistan national team. He used India’s Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as an example of the kind of young batting talent Pakistan needs to develop.
“It has been 10 years since the PSL started, but has a single batter been produced by the PSL?" Wasim Akram questioned. "Yes we have produced a few bowlers but tell me have we produced any noteworthy batting talent."
“I think when we produce a batting talent like the 14-year-old (Sooryavanshi) then we will see improvement coming through,” he added.
Akram has experience in both the IPL and PSL. He worked as the bowling coach and mentor of Kolkata Knight Riders from 2010 to 2017 and also held leadership roles with several PSL franchises, including Islamabad United, Multan Sultans and Karachi Kings.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Shows Talent in IPL and International Cricket
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has quickly emerged as one of the most exciting young batters in world cricket. The left-hander made his IPL debut at 14 and has already made an impact at the international level.
He made headlines at the 2026 Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, scoring a brilliant 175 off 80 balls against England in the final. Sooryavanshi then made his senior T20I debut against England on July 4, 2026. He also impressed during India’s series against Zimbabwe.
At just 15 years and 99 days old, he surpassed Sachin Tendulkar’s long-standing record to become the youngest-ever male international debutant for India. Sooryavanshi has played six T20Is, scoring 193 runs at an average of 32.17 and a strike rate of 189.22, including two half-centuries.
Wasim Akram Calls for More Investment in Club Cricket
Wasim Akram believes Pakistan’s batting problems cannot be solved by focusing only on the PSL. He called for greater investment in club cricket, which he sees as the foundation for developing technically sound players for red-ball cricket.
Akram also pointed to Pakistan’s technical problems in the ongoing Test series against England.
“In England in the ongoing series they didn’t move their front foot forward, playing bowlers like Ollie Robinson while standing rooted in the crease. You need to play with courage, but for that, talent is essential.”
Akram, who developed as a cricketer at Ludhiana Gymkhana, believes Pakistan must strengthen its grassroots system, particularly in major cricketing centres such as Karachi and Lahore.
“Club cricket needs to be revived if we want improvement in red ball cricket. The PCB should spend 100 million rupees each in Karachi and Lahore, as talent comes from club cricket,” he said.
Also read: PCB reintroduces Kookaburra ball for domestic cricket after two seasons with Dukes
