Wasim Akram criticises PCB’s social media video for omitting Imran Khan

The video was met with severe backlash for not involving Imran, who is not just a revered figure in Pakistan's cricket history but also served as the country's Prime Minister from August 2018 to April 2022.

New Delhi: Former Pakistan cricketer Wasim Akram on Wednesday criticised a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) video, released on the country’s Independence Day, on August 14, for omitting the reference of their only ODI World Cup winning captain Imran Khan.

The PCB released a video on August 14 with the hashtag #BeyondJustOneDay, highlighting the major contributions of some of their top players and the biggest moments in the Pakistan cricket history, since 1952 when they played their first international game. The video was met with severe backlash for not involving Imran, who is not just a revered figure in Pakistan’s cricket history but also served as the country’s Prime Minister from August 2018 to April 2022.

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The 57-year-old Akram said that he got the “shock of his life” when he watched the video and urged the PCB to delete the video and “apologise” for leaving Imran out of it. “After long flights and hours of transit before reaching Sri Lanka, I got the shock of my life when I watched PCB’s short clip on the history of Pakistan cricket minus the great Imran Khan political differences apart but Imran Khan is an icon of world cricket and developed Pakistan into a strong unit in his time and gave us a pathway PCB should delete the video and apologise,” Akram said in a tweet. Notably, Imran is widely regarded as the finest cricketer Pakistan has produced and one of the game’s greatest all rounders. He led them to their first global title in 1992 at the MCG.

The legendary cricketer also led Pakistan to a famous trilogy of drawn Test series with the best side of that time, West Indies, as well as major ODI triumphs in Sharjah and the Nehru Cup — a mini World Cup of sorts in India in 1989. In 2018, Imran was elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, after a two-decade long political career but was ousted last year after a vote of no-confidence by parliament.

The cricketer turned politician has been protesting against the incumbent government since, and has been injured after an assassination attempt. Ten days ago, Imran was arrested and sentenced to three years in jail for not declaring the proceeds of state gifts to the Election Commission of Pakistan.