Wasim Akram says Pakistan were destined to lose 3-0 in England series

Wasim Akram was an integral part of the Pakistan team that won three back-to-back Test series in England 1987 and 1996 and the legendary former fast bowler said that he knew before their ongoing series in the country that they would be whitewashed. Pakistan have rarely posed a challenge in the two Tests that have been played in England thus far and trail 2-0 going into the third and final Test starting on Wednesday.

"I knew before the series we were going to lose 3-0 to England," Wasim is quoted as saying by The Athletic. “Our batting is struggling, our bowling is below average and our fielding is worse. It’s not rocket science." While the performances drew criticism, the Pakistan Cricket Board's extraordinary purge of the team after the second Test is what drew shocked reactions from around the cricket world.

The PCB sent back home as many as seven players from the squad and sacked head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and his staff after the second Test. Wasim, who was Pakistan's captain in the last of their consecutive Test series wins in England, said that while he feels for the players, he doesn't think they are helping themselves too much with their attitude. “But in Pakistan we have a saying: ‘You can only clap with two hands’,” he said. “I get asked all the time, ‘Can you do something to help Pakistan cricket?’ But the issues are a lot deeper.

These are the top players, there’s nothing else there. The systems aren’t there below that. The first-class structure domestically has been all over the place the last few years and there’s no consistency, no patience. “That dribbles down to the fans, too. They see the team lose and they want to rip it all up, too.

We’ve done that so many times and now there is nothing really left,” said Wasim.