Naveed Akram

Akram was called by the Pakistan under-23 national team for the 2004 and 2006 South Asian Games, where he helped Pakistan win the gold medal.^[6][7]

He made his senior debut with Pakistan on 12 June 2005 which was the first game in a series of three games against India, the game finished 1–1 draw to Pakistan He was subsequently called for the 2005 SAFF Gold Cup.^[8] He scored his first goal on 15 November 2006 in the 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification, in the eventual 2–3 loss against UAE.^[9] He also featured at the 2006 Asian Games, where he scored a long range goal in the eventual 2–3 loss against Japan.^[10]

Akram was praised for his defensive skills paired with his goal-scoring ability.^[11] He is most known for his memorable long range goal in the 2006 Asian Games, when Pakistan came close to a huge upset against Japan.^{[10][12][13][11]}

On 29 March 2021, Akram was appointed as secretary general of the Pakistan Football Federation, following a controversial takeover by Syed Ashfaq Hussain Shah, which eventually leaded to a ban by FIFA on the federation.^{[14][15][16][17]} Three years later on 28 August 2024, Akram along with 21 former officials faced a lifetime ban due to their alleged role in creating a parallel association and orchestrating a hostile takeover of the PFF offices.^[18]