Pakistan capable of surprising England: Shoaib Akhtar

He also advised tainted left arm pace bowler Muhammad Aamir to remain humble on the tour and blend in with his teammates in order to sustain the pressure he will face in England playing there for the first time since the spot-fixing scandal in 2010.

Aamir was among the three Pakistani players involved in the scandal and served a five-year ban for spot-fixing.

“The best way for Aamir to counter is to perform on the field which I am sure he can do. But he also has to remain humble and not show attitude. He has to blend in with his teammates and win matches for them.

“He has to realise that this is a god sent opportunity for him. He has got a second shot at playing for Pakistan. He has to realise this is not an interval in a movie because if he makes another mistake he will be finished for life.”

Akhtar himself is no stranger to controversies said he was not surprised by statements aimed at Aamir made by England captain, Alastair Cook and other players.

“He should have no doubt he will be under the scanner all the time from different quarters,” he said on a talk show.

Akhtar said the role of the team management role be vital in England as they have to deflect the pressure from the media and elsewhere from the players and allow them to focus on the matches.