Shoaib Akhtar slams Mohammad Hafeez over remarks on 1990s cricket legends

Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has hit back at Mohammad Hafeez for his comments questioning the legacy of Pakistan’s 1990s cricket greats.

In a viral clip from the PSL post-match show, Akhtar reacted sharply to what he felt was disrespect towards legendary players. 

Referring to Hafeez’s remarks, he said, “That guy [Hafeez] is telling Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, ‘Sir, you left no legacy.’”

Akhtar defended the achievements of the 1990s team, highlighting their dominance over India in ODIs during that era. 

He responded to Hafeez with a pointed question, “What’s your legacy?”

Hafeez’s comments came under heavy criticism, especially following Pakistan’s early exit from the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. The team was eliminated after losing their first two group-stage matches to New Zealand and India. A rain-abandoned match against Bangladesh confirmed their exit from the tournament.

In response to the backlash, Hafeez later clarified that his comments were taken out of context and were not meant to target any individual. 

“I am a big admirer of the cricketers from the 1990s, but when we talk about their legacy, it’s clear they didn’t bring home an ICC trophy. They were part of the World Cups in 1996, 1999, and 2003, and despite our strong performances, we lost each time. In fact, we only made it to the 1999 final, and that loss was quite heavy,” Hafeez said.

“They were megastars as players, but they couldn’t inspire us by winning an ICC event. After that, we endured a tough phase, losing the 2007 T20 World Cup final. However, in 2009, under Younis Khan’s leadership, we finally secured a title, providing inspiration for the next generation,” he added.

Amid growing criticism, Hafeez took to social media to stress that his focus was on team achievements, not personal attacks.

“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 tweeted.

“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.