Wednesday 15th Jan, 2025
MUMBAI: A past bitter relationship experience is described as one of the reasons two of the greatest bowlers of their era, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, will not team up to work in Multan Sultans’ coaching staff for the next edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
The pair of Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram — despite their differences — was one of the most lethal fast bowling unit ever witnessed in history. The Pakistan cricket team legends are placed third in the all-time Test bowlers pairing list. They played a total of 61 Tests together in which Waqar Younis (277 wickets) and Wasim Akram (282) claimed 559 wickets between them.At the first spot is the West Indies pair of Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh, followed by the currently active bowling pair of James Anderson and Stuart Broad.
According to ESPNCricinfo, while Waqar Younis has failed to reach an agreement with the management of the PSL team, the relationship — ‘often tumultuous and strained’ — between one of the deadliest fast bowling pair in cricket history, has also been a factor.Waqar Younis, who exited as Pakistan cricket team’s head coach after the team failed to go past the first round in the ICC World T20 2016, was approached for a coaching opportunity with the new PSL team, Multan Sultans, who have already roped in Wasim Akram as the Director of Cricket Operations.
Multan Sultans are the sixth and the newest team in PSL for its upcoming edition, which will be the third for the tournament soon expected to increase its presence in Pakistan.Waqar said, “I have been in discussions with them but sadly we didn’t reach a final agreement. They [Multan owners] are good people and I was delighted to have an offer mainly because the idea of reuniting with Wasim Akram was fascinating. Both of us working for the same cause of cricket for the same team would have been great. I wish Wasim bhai very good luck with his plans to form his own team.”
However, in a recent interview with Geo Sports, Waqar Younis provided a slight hint by saying he might not have featured in Wasim Akram’s plans. “Wasim bhai will make whatever team they put together and probably I don’t come in that plan… which I have probably never been in his plans,” he said.
“I always wanted to be part of Multan because it’s linked with where I’m from, the city and region of South Punjab where I am from, so it’s unfortunate,” Waqar added.
The franchise, which refused to comment on the development, even had a shoot planned with Waqar and Wasim.