Shane Watson: “I would have loved to have faced Wasim Akram in a Test match. I would have loved that. Opening the batting with the ball swinging at pace around 150kph each way. That would have been incredible no doubt”
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Former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson has revealed that it “would have been incredible” to face legendary Pakistan left-arm seamer Wasim Akram.
Akram is arguably the best fast bowler Pakistan has ever produced and was one of the most formidable bowlers during his illustrious international career.
Akram featured in 104 Tests and took 414 wickets at an average of 23.62.
He is also the second-highest wicket-taker in ODI history as he claimed 502 wickets in 356 matches at an average of 23.52.
“I would have loved to have faced Wasim Akram in a Test match. I would have loved that. Opening the batting with the ball swinging at pace around 150kph each way. That would have been incredible no doubt,” Watson said on The Unplayable Podcast as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
“He bowled to me in the nets when he was my mentor for the Islamabad United franchise in the PSL. He bowled to me in the nets and he was still so skillful. Obviously not that fast, relative to what he bowled, but still.”
In addition to Akram, Watson admitted it would have also been “fascinating” to have faced the West Indian pace duo of Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh.
“The other two would have been Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose. With them, everything was bouncing up around your throat,” he said. “Those two guys, I remember in particular, Ricky Ponting in the 1996 World Cup going out with a cap on to them. He said I know that they are that good and they are probably going to get fired up if I am going out with a cap and not respecting them.
“They bowled short to him because that is what he wanted. He took the game on. So those two guys would have been fascinating to face as well.”
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