After having stints as commentator and sports news anchor, former Pakistan bowling great Wasim Akram now harbours a desire to coach the Pakistan team, but on his own terms.
The 'Sultan of Swing', on a visit to the National Cricket Academy in Lahore, told scribes that he had received a letter from the Pakistan Cricket Board informing about hiring a coach for the national team.
However, the required qualification for the candidature are courses of level three or four, he said.
''I want to coach the Pakistan team but this is not the way. I have a lifetime experience and don't expect me to wait outside the PCB office holding a letter in my hands seeking a coaching job. With my experience I don't think I require any level of courses,'' the former skipper said.
"My qualification is that I've played more than a hundred Test matches and 350 ODIs all those years. I think I've learnt what they are teaching in the courses," he added.
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Akram, in a glorious career spanning three decades, represented Pakistan in 104 Tests and 356 One-day Internationals, claiming 414 Test and 502 ODI scalps.
He also said he had to see whether he would be preoccupied with his ESPN-Star Sports agreement before taking any such assignment.
Meanwhile, as a precursor, the left-hander advised paceman Shoaib Akhtar to curtail his run-up to avoid injuries.
He was quite impressed seeing Akhtar's fitness during the training camp in Lahore for the upcoming home series against England.
"I have spent some time with Shoaib in the nets and found him fit and keen to perform,'' he maintained.
On the home side's chances against the tourists, Akram said the team had to be physically and mentally fit to take on the Ashes winners.
He, however, demanded an apology from the English media, recalling an old reverse swing controversy.
"When we began reverse swing, they (the English media) criticised us a lot but now their own bowlers have begun swinging the ball and all is okay," he said, indicating to the reverse swing art mastered by Simon Jones, Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison.
UNI
