ISLAMABAD – Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram, who possessed a rareability to swing the cricket ball both ways at breakneck speed, was born inLahore on June 3, 1966.
During his international career spanning 18 years, Akram made a name forhimself as one of the most lethal bowlers to have ever played the game ofcricket. With 414 wickets at an average of 23.62 from 104 Tests and 502scalps from 356 ODIs at an equally impressive average of 23.52, he finishedhis career as Pakistan’s most successful bowler in both forms of the game.
However, Akram was not about numbers alone. He made bowling look like aform of art. Watching this left-arm speedster run in and bowl thoseunplayable swinging deliveries with his ball-concealing action was a sightto behold. No wonder, cricket pundits dubbed him the ‘Sultan of Swing’.
Akram made his debut at the age of 19 during Pakistan’s tour of New Zealandat Auckland in 1985. Though he returned modest figures of 2/105 in hisfirst match, he shot to limelight with a 10-wicket haul in the second matchof the series at Dunedin.
Since then, the Lahore-born pace ace didn’t look back and orchestrated anumber of memorable victories for his nation in both Tests and ODIs. Thefinest of those victories came in the final of 1992 World Cup. Under theinspirational leadership of the great Imran Khan, Akram producedmatch-turning figures of 3/49 from his 10 overs to help Pakistan beatEngland by 22 runs to lift their maiden World Cup trophy.
His victims in the match included sir Ian Botham, Alan Lamb and ChrisLewis. The wickets of Lamb and Lewis were especially crucial since they hadtaken England to 141/4 in reply to Pakistan’s total of 249. The Sultan ofSwing, though, finished the contest by rattling the timbers of both batsmenin quick succession.
Apart from being an outstanding bowler, Akram was a capable batsman withhis highest Test score reading 257– a knock that came against Zimbabwe inSheikhupura in 1996-97. He hit 12 sixes in the innings.
The Pakistan pace legend played his last international match against Indiaduring the 2003 World Cup in South Africa. This was the same match in whichSachin Tendulkar famously hit Shoaib Akhtar for a six over point en routeto a whirlwind 75-ball 98 that delivered India a facile six-wicket win.