Srinagar: Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has said that the current Pakistan team is the beat available lot and they should be backed to do well in ICC Champions Trophy.
Speaking on a show alongside Cheteshwar Pujara and Nikhil Chopra, Akram said that the current team comprises the best available players and refuted claims of selection based on personal references.
“If you want me to be brutally honest, I can be. In our culture, we say, ‘These are our kids, don’t criticize them.’ But I believe these are our best players. If there was someone better, they would have been selected. People talk about ‘parchi’ (selection based on favoritism), but at this level, parchi doesn’t work,” Akram asserted.
Pakistan’s Champions Trophy campaign has suffered a significant setback as opening batter Fakhar Zaman has been ruled out of the tournament due to injury.
In his place, Imam-ul-Haq has been drafted into the squad for the remaining matches.
Imam, who was already part of the Pakistan Shaheens squad, recently showcased his form with an impressive 98-run knock in a warm-up match against South Africa.