Islamabad, May 19: Hailing him as one of the greatest bowlers ever, cricketers and administrators in Pakistan today heaped praises on Wasim Akram who bid farewell to international cricket yesterday. Captain Rashid Latif, who is leading Pakistan in a triangular tournament in Sri Lanka, said he was sad to hear about Akram's decision to retire.

"I don't think we will see someone as naturally talented as him for a long time now. I have never seen a greater cricketer or sportsman than him," Latif said.

"It is sad to hear about his retirement. But it was something that was playing on his mind for sometime now."

Akram, who has a world record 502 wickets in one-day internationals apart from 414 scalps in Test cricket, was dumped out of the Pakistan team, alongwith some of the senior-most players, after the team's disastrous campaign in the World Cup in South Africa earlier this year.

Even though his teammate Shoaib Akhtar returned to the squad for the Triseries in Sri Lanka, Akram, currently playing county cricket in England, was ignored by the selectors.

Legendary all-rounder and his former mentor Imran Khan rated Akram alongside Michael Holding of West Indies as two of the greatest bowlers the world has ever seen.

"I reckon Wasim and West Indian Michael Holding are two of the best and most natural fast bowlers of the century," Imran Khan was quoted as saying.

Bureau Report