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Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar has taken a subtle dig at Mohammad Hafeez for his recent remarks questioning the legacy of Pakistan’s cricketers from the 1990s.
While speaking in a cricket show, Akhtar didn’t hold back, calling out what he believed was an unnecessary and disrespectful take aimed at some of Pakistan’s greatest-ever cricketers.
Referring to a now-viral clip, the Rawalpindi Express responded to Hafeez’s alleged comment that the stars of the 90s “didn’t leave behind any legacy.”
Shoaib Akhtar, with his trademark sarcasm, questioned: “He [Hafeez] said, ‘Sir, you didn’t leave a legacy.’ He’s saying that to Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis? Then who did leave a legacy? You?”
Akhtar’s retort came amid growing backlash against Mohammad Hafeez, who had remarked that while 90s cricketers were superstars individually, they failed to inspire the nation through collective success, particularly in ICC tournaments.
“I’m a big admirer of the 90s greats,” he said. “But when we speak of legacy, it’s about results — they didn’t win an ICC trophy.”
He further clarified that his intention was never to belittle individual legends but to highlight the lack of team achievements during that era.
“Some media houses are fabricating the actual content. The context of the discussion was all about teams winning ICC events to inspire future generations,” Hafeez later posted on X (formerly Twitter).
The former all-rounder further explained that his statement was not a personal attack on any individual player but rather an analysis of Pakistan’s inability to secure ICC titles during that period.
“Therefore, I explained how the greats of the game from Pakistan, despite all their cricketing talent, couldn’t win ICC events (post-’92 WC) in 1996, 1999, and 2003. It was never personal criticism of any individual player,” he added.
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