“They forgot that Pakistan is also a member of ICC” – Shoaib Akhtar slams ICC’s T20I team of the decade

“They forgot that Pakistan is also a member of ICC” – Shoaib Akhtar slams ICC’s T20I team of the decade

Akhtar 1

Shoaib Akhtar during his playing days

Former Pakistani fast-bowler Shoaib Akhtar has slammed the International Cricket Council for excluding Pakistani players from their teams of the decade. Earlier today, the ICC announced its Men’s T20I team of the decade on its Twitter handle. As a gesture of appreciation for the most consistent performers in T20Is from 2011-2020, 11 players were chosen consisting of big-hitters and dependable bowlers.

The ICC also announced the teams for ODIs and Tests and the noteworthy thing was the absence of Pakistani cricketers from any of the three teams. While it can be argued that there weren’t a lot of consistent performers this decade from Pakistan, there was a case to include skipper Babar Azam who has been remarkably consistent across all three formats but most importantly in T20Is where he is currently ranked No. 2.

‘ICC only thinks about money and sponsorships’ – Akhtar

YouTube video

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Shoaib Akhtar slammed ICC saying, “I think ICC forgot that Pakistan is also a member of ICC and they also play T20I cricket. They did not pick Babar Azam, who is currently the number one batsman in the ICC T20I rankings. They did not pick a single player from Pakistan in the team. We don’t need your (ICC) T20I Team of the Decade because you announced the IPL team, not a world cricket team.”

“ICC only thinks about money, sponsorships and TV rights. They introduced two new balls and three powerplays (in the ODI cricket). Where is Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thomson, big five of West Indies, Wasim (Akram) and Waqar (Younis)? Where are the world’s fastest bowlers and leg-spinners? They went away because ICC commercialised and materialised cricket so much and allowed ten leagues to earn more revenue,” he added.

Recalling his battles with Sachin Tendulkar and reiterating the fact that Babar Azam should have been picked, “They just want two World Cups in three years and leagues. There is a big difference between today’s cricket and in 70’s cricket. If there is no Sachin vs Shoaib then what’s the point of watching cricket? There is no big player than Babar Azam in T20I. He is a top-scorer for Pakistan and his averages show what he has done for the country, even in comparison with Virat Kohli. It is so embarrassing and I’m sure after this video they will think that they have to announce the World Team of the Decade, not the IPL team,” he signed off.

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