Shoaib Akhtar has come out strongly in support of former pace greats Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, pushing back against recent criticism from ex-all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez. The Rawalpindi Express, reacted to Hafeez’s '90s Legacy' comments made during a discussion on the sidelines of the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Speaking on The Dugout, Akhtar said, “There were many times when Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis won us matches and series. Just in front of me, the two have won at least 60 matches together alone. I just remembered the ’90s ke launde’ statement. Sorry,"
He added, “That guy (Hafeez) is telling Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, ‘Sir, you left no legacy.’ Then, who left a legacy? You?"
Hafeez's ' 90's legacy' remark on former players
Hafeez had recently stirred controversy by questioning the legacy of Pakistan’s iconic 1990s cricket generation. While acknowledging their individual brilliance, Hafeez pointed out that the team, despite featuring stars like Wasim, Waqar, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Saeed Anwar, and Saqlain Mushtaq, failed to add another ICC title after the 1992 World Cup triumph under Imran Khan.
“I have great respect for the 90s players, but when we talk about legacy, they didn’t win another ICC trophy after 1992,” Hafeez said on the OutSide Edge Live show. He noted that while Pakistan did reach the 1999 World Cup final, they fell short, and other major tournaments ended in disappointment.
Hafeez was part of the Pakistan squads that won the Champions Trophy in 2017 and finished runners-up at the 2007 T20 World Cup.
