Pakistan great Wasim Akram takes a dig at Indian Premier League

Former Pakistan pace legend Wasim Akram has taken a light-hearted swipe at the length of the Indian Premier League (IPL). While promoting the Pakistan Super League (PSL), the ex-IPL coach and commentator joked that even children grow up by the time the tournament finishes.

“Bacche bade ho jate hain, woh league khatam hi nahi hoti (Kids grow up, but the league never ends),” Akram quipped at a PSL promotional event at Lord’s Cricket Ground.

Akram compared different franchise leagues to make his point. He highlighted how the Big Bash League (BBL) in Australia initially featured 31 matches in the 2011–12 season, expanded to 61, but was later shortened by Cricket Australia to around 44 games in recent editions. The IPL currently spans nearly two months, while the BBL and PSL wrap up in roughly 40 days. However, IPL’s 10 teams, compared to 8 in PSL and BBL, naturally extend its schedule.

According to Akram, the shorter duration of PSL is one of its strengths. “The best part about PSL is that it lasts just around 34–35 days, maybe a bit longer next season,” he said. “BBL started as a two-and-a-half-month tournament, but after a few years they realised it didn’t work. Now it’s around 40 days — that’s the beauty of PSL.”

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The former fast bowler went on to claim that the PSL features stronger local talent than the IPL. Speaking as someone who frequently comments on leagues worldwide, Akram said the prevailing opinion among international cricket discussions is that Pakistan produces superior bowling talent.

“As far as talent goes, PSL is considered No. 1 because we have quality, not quantity. People often tell me that while the IPL has depth in numbers, Pakistan’s domestic pool offers more raw quality," said Akram.