Shoaib Akhtar: “I really wonder why the best T20 player in the world went unsold at The Hundred”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Shoaib Akhtar, the legendary 161.3 kph fast bowler, believes Pakistan captain Babar Azam is the “best T20 player in the world”.
His comments come after the 28-year-old went unsold in The Hundred draft, where he had a price tag of £100,000.
Akhtar admitted that he was stumped by the fact no one wanted to bid for Azam, even though he averages 41.48 in T20Is and 44.02 in his overall T20 career, which includes domestic matches.
Even England fast bowler James Anderson admitted he was surprised none of the teams wanted the Pakistan skipper, saying he would have paid double for the Lahore-born batsman.
“I agree with James Anderson. I would have done the same. I really wonder why the best T20 player in the world went unsold at The Hundred,” Akhtar said on Twitter.
Azam will now captain Pakistan in their two-Test series against Sri Lanka, which will be held in Galle and Colombo from July 16 to 28.
Pakistan Squad for Sri Lanka Test Series:Â Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc & wk), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Muhammad Huraira, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shan Masood