Former Pakistan cricketer Aaqib Javed believes that Bangladesh currently possess a more mature batting lineup than the Men in Green.

While talking to Prothom Alo Bangla, the former pacer said that Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB’s) investment in their national academy has played an instrumental role in the progress of their team.  

“At the moment, if you compare the Bangladesh batting with Pakistan, you can see that they are not behind. Sometimes they look more mature and seems to have more options in their batting line up than the Pakistan side,” said Aaqib.

“I still remember the time when we use to play with Bangladesh. It was mostly one-sided at that time but recently, Bangladesh has come out with really talented players who actually made their mark at the highest level. The reason behind this is that Bangladesh was very consistent in their development side. They have a very good and consistent development plan under their national academy. If I compare Bangladesh’s progress with Pakistan, I think, Bangladesh has achieved more in their limited resources than Pakistan,” he added.

ALSO READ: Won't postpone PSL 6 to make space for Asia Cup: PCB

Aaqib once again opened up on the scourge of match-fixing and has no regrets that his strong stance on it had a major bearing on shortening his international career.

“I presented my statements during the hearing of Justice Qayum Commission against few players of our team and later, I had to quit. Yes, it was a bit early at the age of 28. But I am still fighting and still believing that this is the one role that somebody has to play,” he said.

The former pacer also said he didn’t mind playing in the shadow of legendary pacers, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, as he wanted to contribute to the team’s cause in any role.

“I really enjoyed that era because I believed and chose a role for myself which was really important. Even at times, Waqar and Wasim couldn’t perform well. I used to bowl well against all odds. If one doesn’t stay committed, it’s really difficult for any bowler to play for a longer period,” he concluded.