Wasim Akram lashes out at Cricket boards not giving top contracts to Test Specialists

Wasim Akram is not happy with how BCCI has put some of the Test specialists in the lower categories and some of the other ones who are limited-over specialists in higher categories in the list of the annually contracted players that they revealed a couple of days back.

BCCI has introduced a completely new category A+ in the contract grade this time around and out of the five players who are there in that category, none of them are Test specialists. While Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah feature in all three formats of the game, Shikhar Dhawan, and Rohit Sharma are not the certainties in the XI in the longest format.

The Test specialists Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are in category A which is the second highest category and not the highest one, something which Wasim Akram doesn’t agree to at all.

Test specialists need to be paid more: Akram

In the opinion of the former Pakistan captain, Test Cricket is the format which tests all the aspects of a Cricketer’s game. Everything is difficult in that format, from the pitches to the quality of bowling to the nature of the game. There is no restriction on the number of overs a bowler can bowl, they keep coming at you. You deal with ferocious stuff and put your body on the line on occasions. So it’s only fitting that the Test specialists are rewarded with the highest grade of contracts.

According to Akram, it will also be a reward for the discipline that they show through their careers to actually become the Test Cricketers. It’s not easy shaping your game for the 5-day format. Those who do that should get their due rewards.

“Test Specialists should (get more). Because that’s the most difficult Cricket. That’s where you get hit by bouncers, you get hit on your head, on your fingers as a batsman. Bowlers bowl longer spells.”

“That’s where the mindset of those who run Cricket boards (matters). They should realize Test Cricket is the ultimate and everything else follows.” Akram was quoted saying while being in a conversation with Sport360.