Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has voiced serious concerns about the national team's fitness levels, identifying them as a key factor behind Pakistan's recent underperformance in major tournaments. Akram, who is considered one of the greatest fast bowlers in cricket history, believes that the players' lack of focus on fitness has been an ongoing issue for several years.

In a candid discussion on a popular web show, Akram revealed that he had been aware of these fitness concerns for some time. "I haven't talked much about this yet, and I don't have any inside news, but I knew about it two years ago—cricketers aren't focusing enough on their fitness," Akram said.

Akram’s comments come ahead of Pakistan's crucial two-match Test series against Bangladesh, which is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-2025 cycle. He pointed out that Pakistan's disappointing performance in the 2024 T20 World Cup was largely due to the team's poor fitness, which was noticeably inferior compared to other international teams.

"Now, during the World Cup, the whole world saw just how good the fitness of our cricket team truly was," Akram remarked, highlighting the visible difference between Pakistan and its rivals.

Akram also drew a comparison between the current era and his playing days, emphasizing how fitness awareness has evolved over time. "If I was playing cricket today, I'd have a lot of knowledge about fitness, as it's now common," he explained. "During the time we played cricket, information about fitness wasn't common. We didn't know much, so we simply followed our seniors like Imran Khan and Javed Miandad."

The upcoming Test series against Bangladesh is critical for both teams as they aim to secure valuable points in the World Test Championship standings. The first Test is scheduled to begin on August 21 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, followed by the second Test at the National Stadium in Karachi on August 30.