“What’s your legacy?” Shoaib Akhtar hits back at Hafeez over '90s' remarks

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has taken aim at Mohammad Hafeez for his controversial remarks about the legacy of Pakistan’s 1990s cricketers. 

In a viral clip from the PSL post-match show The Dug Out, Akhtar delivered a sharp response to what he perceived as disrespect towards legendary players.

On the show, the Rawalpindi express referred to Hafeez’s statement, saying, That guy [Hafeez] is telling Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, ‘Sir, you left no legacy.’” 

The right-arm pacer countered by highlighting the 1990s team’s dominance, noting over 70 ODI victories against India during his era—a feat unmatched to this day. In a direct jab, he asked, “What’s your legacy?”

Hafeez, who came under heavy criticism for his comments, later clarified that his remarks were taken out of context and not aimed at any individual. 

His clarification followed Pakistan’s early exit from the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, where they were eliminated after losing their first two group matches against New Zealand and arch-rivals India. 

A rain-abandoned match against Bangladesh sealed their exit.

“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 rising criticism, Hafeez took to social media on Monday to reiterate that his remarks were focused on team achievements, not personal criticism.

“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.