The Sultan of Swing has chosen his ultimate combined ODI XI, and it’s notable he didn’t pick Wasim Akram Babar Azam, the current Pakistan captain for the upcoming World Cup.
This ODI XI features one of the world’s greatest opening pairs, Saeed Anwar and Virender Sehwag.
“I’ll begin with a left-handed batsman from Pakistan, ‘Saeed Anwar.’ While not the finest fielder, he is undoubtedly one of the best Pakistan has ever produced in terms of batting—an all-round player,” Akram stated.
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“As his opening partner, I’ve chosen Virender Sehwag. He revolutionized the approach to Test Cricket as an opener. Before Sehwag, the norm was to set up three slips and a gully, but Sehwag simply started attacking everyone,” he added.
Following this iconic opening duo, the middle order will be: Sachin Tendulkar, Javed Miandad, and Virat Kohli.
Imran Khan, a World Cup-winning captain, has been appointed as the leader of Akram’s team, which comes as no surprise. Additionally, Mahendra Singh (MS) Dhoni has been included as the wicketkeeper.
The bowling lineup for this XI comprises Jasprit Bumrah, Waqar Younis, and Saqlain Mushtaq.
Wasim Akram’s Dream Indo-Pak ODI XI
1. Saeed Anwar
2. Virender Sehwag
3. Sachin Tendulkar
4. Javed Miandad
5. Virat Kohli
6. Imran Khan (C)
7. Kapil Dev
8. MS Dhoni (WK)
9. Saqlain Mushtaq
10. Jasprit Bumrah
11. Waqar Younis
However, In Dream XI of Wasim Akram Babar Azam was not included.
Wasim Akram the Swing Master also captained Pakistan in two World Cups.
It’s worth noting that during his illustrious 20-year-long career, the Sultan of Swing, Wasim Akram, amassed a remarkable total of 916 wickets in 460 international matches across ODI and Test cricket.
Furthermore, he achieved the distinction of becoming the second-fastest bowler to reach the milestone of 500 international wickets, accomplishing this feat in just 354 matches.