Former national team wicketkeeper and current head coach of the Afghan cricket team, Rashid Latif, stated that Afghan spinner Rashid Khan is a better cricketer than former captain Wasim Akram. He added that it is Rashid Khan who has truly brought recognition to the Afghanistan team. “I believe that the Afghan spinner Rashid Khan is a greater cricketer than the swinging king Wasim,” he said.
In an interview with Naji TV, the former cricketer advised national team fast bowler Shahin Shah Afridi to make a strong comeback in Test cricket, emphasizing that legends are made in Test cricket and that no one becomes a legend in white-ball cricket.
When asked whether Shahin Shah Afridi is influenced by his father-in-law Shahid Afridi, Rashid Latif replied that while they are indeed influenced by Shahid Khan Afridi, Shahin—being his son-in-law—is not under his influence because he is mentally strong.
Speaking about Mohammad Rizwan, he said that if any good character has emerged in the Pakistan cricket team in the past 40 years, it is Mohammad Rizwan; setting cricket aside, Mohammad Rizwan is a very good human being.
Regarding Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma, Rashid Latif remarked that he is one of the great white-ball players and that Rohit Sharma should now quit international cricket. “After the Champions Trophy, he will leave international cricket and continue playing in the IPL,” he added.
The former wicketkeeper noted that Afghanistan is truly recognized because of Rashid Khan, who is an even better player than Wasim Akram. He advised that players should be judged in the context of their own country and recommended that they improve their Test team by playing as much Test cricket against Pakistan as possible.
He further commented that three players wasted their careers—Salman Butt was a good captain, whereas a bowler like Mohammad Asif never really made it in Pakistan. “Mohammad Amir is a great talent, but he lost himself. Five years is a long time; Pakistan suffered a huge loss—both a personal loss and a significant blow to cricket because of these people.”
Rashid Latif also stated that if any player is involved in an illegal activity even once, he should not be allowed back into the national team. “I even meet with Amir and have coached him; my issue is not with Amir, but with the damage done to cricket.”
Talking about Wasim Akram, he recalled an instance in England when a side match was taking place and he wasn’t playing. Wasim Akram took him for practice. “I said, ‘Don’t let me bowl from behind,’ but Wasim Akram had me bowl two balls and then delivered a bouncer on the third ball. Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis are mentally tough individuals; it was in the dressing room with them that we learned how to maintain the right atmosphere.”
On Ahmed Shehzad, he expressed that although Ahmed is a good speaker, he has now transitioned to another field and should not return to cricket. “He should stay in that field, where his content is strong, and he can do good work within the PCB.”
Commenting on Babar Azam, Rashid Latif said that Babar has now started getting out, unlike Javed Miandad who rarely did in his era. “If you want to follow in Javed Miandad’s footsteps, you should not get out. They removed him from captaincy to bring in Shahin Afridi, then made him captain and later removed him again, which broke his spirit.”
The former captain concluded by saying that breaking Shoaib Akhtar’s record is very difficult because his bowling style was unique. He added that fast bowler Mohammad Sami’s deliveries were so fast they felt extremely quick upon reaching the hand; Mohammad Sami was as good a bowler as Shoaib Akhtar. “We never got to see what format Mohammad Sami truly suited because he was continuously played in Test matches, even though he was an excellent white-ball bowler,” he said.
