Summers terms Akhtar as his favourite Pakistan cricketer of all-time

Australian pacer is all set to become the first foreign player to participate in the revamped Pakistan’s domestic cricket

PHOTO: AFP/File

Australia’s 24-year-old Aaron Summers has named former speedster Shoaib Akhtar as his favourite Pakistan cricketer of all-time.

Summers is all set to become the first foreign player to participate in the revamped Pakistan’s domestic cricket by signing up for Southern Punjab for the Pakistan Cup One-Day Tournament, which begins in Karachi from January 8.

“It would probably be Shoaib Akhtar. His raw pace was really exciting. That whole period where Shoaib and Brett Lee and were going at it to see who can bowl faster. To see them really push it was a really exciting part of cricket and to push what we thought were the limits,” said Summers.

Summers played for Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League 2019 and has also represented Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League. On his debut match for the Hurricanes in December 2017, he had outpaced England’s Jofra Archer and Tymal Mills to earn the reputation of one of the fastest bowlers on the Australian circuit.

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The pacer is excited to be in Pakistan and is keen on improving his skill set under the tutelage of Southern Punjab’s bowling consultant Azhar Mahmood.

“I haven’t been to Lahore before but I went to Karachi two years ago. To finally land in Pakistan after obviously after few weeks or few months of getting this sorted, I’m really excited,” he said.

“The feedback from all the coaches in Australia is that I have to learn a few new skills and I have to get a little bit more consistent before they pick me full-time in few of the Big Bash sides. I don’t necessarily agree with it as I think I’m ready to play Big Bash cricket. I’m not going to sit there in Australia and get older and older and not learn. I think it’s a really good opportunity here to learn from Azhar [Mahmood] and few of the other players and coaches and to be able to put it to practice at List A level in a very competitive structure and against some very good players,” he concluded.