NEW DELHI, Oct 20: Pakistan’s cricket legend Wasim Akram began a new innings as a television commentator on Monday after retiring as one of the game’s greatest bowlers earlier this year.

Wasim, 37, appeared before the Indian media to announce his association with the Rupert Murdoch-backed sports channel, ESPN-Star Sports, and called for resumption of cricket ties between arch-rivals India and Pakistan.

“It’s time we started keeping politics away from sports,” the former left-arm paceman said.

“Cricket is a religion in India and Pakistan and we must play each other more often.”

India, which has not played a Test series in Pakistan since 1989, are scheduled to tour the neighbouring country in March next year, pending permission from the Indian government.

Wasim retired in May with a world record tally of 502 wickets from 356 one-day matches. He also scalped 414 Test wickets from 104 games.

The Pakistani is the latest addition to the ESPN-Star Sports commentary team which includes Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri of India and Geoffery Boycott of England.

Wasim’s first assignment will be England’s maiden Test series against Bangladesh starting in Dhaka on Tuesday.

He will also commentate during India’s tour of Australia from December which includes four Tests and a one-day tri-series, also featuring Zimbabwe.

“Doing commentary is an interesting way to stay in touch with the game. I hope I will be able to do justice to it,” Wasim said.

“All these years people wanted my opinion on various facets of the game but I had to stay quiet because I was still playing. Now is the perfect opportunity and a creditable platform to air my views. I owe it to my fans. I also have to earn a living after quitting the game.”

Wasim, meanwhile said that too many One-day Internationals are leaving players “stale, bored and injured” and hectic schedules were also affecting the quality of players coming into the game.

“There should be 10-12 Tests in a year and 30 one-dayers, not 40 plus,” Wasim said.—AFP/Reuters