- Thursday, February 27, 2025
Imran Khan is the only Pakistan captain to have given the country the 50-over cricket world cup in 1992.
By: Shubham Ghosh
FORMER Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has blasted his country’s cricket board over a video on social media on the occasion of the country’s 77th Independence Day for allegedly overlooking legendary former all-rounder Imran Khan, who led Pakistan to their only world cup title win in 50 overs in 1992.
The video shared by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on the occasion of Pakistan’s 77th Independence Day on Monday (14) remembered contributions made by some of the country’s greatest cricketers and the absence of Khan, who is currently in jail in connection with a corruption case, has irked Pakistan’s cricketing folklore.
After long flights and hours of transit before reaching Sri Lanka, I got the shock of my life when I watched PCB’s short clip on the history of Pakistan cricket minus the great Imran Khan… political differences apart but Imran Khan is an icon of world cricket and developed…
— Wasim Akram (@wasimakramlive) August 16, 2023
Akram, who made his debut under Khan, who he calls his mentor, blasted the PCB on a Twitter post saying he got the shock of his life to see the video without Khan. He said the former cricketer is an icon for the cricketing world who turned Pakistan into a strong unit during his playing days.
Akram, a legendary former all-rounder himself who revealed that he didn’t see the video till he reached Sri Lanka, said the PCB should delete the video and apologise.
“After long flights and hours of transit before reaching Sri Lanka, I got the shock of my life when I watched PCB’s short clip on the history of Pakistan cricket minus the great Imran Khan… political differences apart but Imran Khan is an icon of world cricket and developed Pakistan into a strong unit in his time and gave us a pathway… PCB should delete the video and apologise,” the 57-year-old wrote on X.
Khan, 70, has been at the centre of a political storm, more so after he lost the prime ministership last year after being ousted in a no-confidence motion. He was arrested in May but supporters of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf carried out massive protests across the country, even targeting installations of the military, arguably the country’s most powerful institution.
Earlier this month, Khan was arrested in connection after a court in Islamabad sentenced him to three years in jail for “corrupt practices” involving sale of foreign gifts.
The veteran politician was subsequently disqualified from politics for five years, which means he will not be able to contest this year’s upcoming elections.
Earlier, former PCB chairman Khalid Mahmood also demanded the withdrawal of the video released by the board.
“This video must be withdrawn by the PCB immediately and released again with proper mention of Imran’s contribution to Pakistan cricket,” Mahmood told Pakistan’s Aaj channel.
