Cricket was invented in the mid-1700s and it got a global stature in the early 1900s due to the expansion and dominance of the British Raj. Well, in such a long time, very few players from any National Cricket Team have got love from global fans.
When you consider such star players, Wasim Akram would always back a high rank. He is no doubt one of the gifted players from Pakistan.
So, if you are his fan, this article is for you. Here you can check out facts about his early life, cricketing career, stats, personal life, and more.
So, keep reading the article and take a joyride back to the classic age of Pakistani Cricket. You can find a price standing proudly with a sword.
The Early Days Of The ‘King Of Swing’
Wasim Akram was born in June 1966, in Lahore. His father Chaudhuri Muhammad Akram had a history of refuge during the partition of India. Akram’s family was originally from the outskirts of Amritsar. He spent his education life in Lahore and by the year 1988, he stepped into cricket.
The Prince Keeps The Sword, Takes The Ball
It is quite magical as Wasim Akram never played first-class cricket and got a direct entry to the National side. The incident happened in the Gaddafi Stadium. The Angel who turned a common player into the Prince was Javed Miandad.
Only after a few matches, did Wasim Akram turn into the ‘King Of Swing’. However, he did mention that he did not know how to swing the ball in the early days of cricketing.
While it is true that Wasim Akram did not play domestic cricket, he signed for county cricket. He was the captain, the hero, and the most adored player of the Lancashire County Cricket Club. He had won a NatWest trophy for the team.
Read : Want to find out the greatest cricketers of all time? You can get information about them in this article, take a look and choose the best cricketer in the world.
Test And International Debut
Both test and international debut happened for Wasim Akram in the years 1984 and 1985. In both the innings, he was able to show heroism and it grabbed the eyes of many people. The matches were with weak teams New Zealand and Aukland.
Wasim Akram net worth started to increase as he because a consistent pacer playing for the country till the 1980s. Unfortunately, he had to stand off the team due to his injuries. The injuries were so severe that he had to go through multiple surgeries.
The 1992 World Cup
Wasim Akram was the king, prince, and everything among the hearts of his fans by the time of the 1992 World Cup. It is quite interesting that many people used to envy Wasim Akram Height at that time.
In 1992, Akram played really like the ‘King Of Swing’ in the entire WC tournament. He along with his teammates led the Pakistani side to the final and they even won the trophy. However, the captain Imran Khan also played a crucial role in taking the WC trophy.
While telling about the 1992 finals, Ian Botham quoted, “We should’ve robbed in ‘92, we were robbed.”
By this, he probably meant the fiery bowling lineup of the Pakistani side. Amazingly, in that game, Akram dismissed Botham for a duck.
The ‘Fire Ball’ Career
In this part, you can go through the stats of Wasim Akram. Check out the table given below to know how glittering career he had.
Type Of Match | Number Of Matches | Won Matches | Lost Matches | Drawn Matches | Tied Matches | No Result |
ODI | 356 | 199 | 145 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
Test | 104 | 41 | 27 | 36 | 0 | 0 |
So, you can understand how successful a captain and player he was for the National team. Here is yet another table that shows the number of wickets he has taken in his entire career.
Type Of Match | Number Of Match | Balls | Wickets |
ODI | 356 | 18186 | 502 |
Test | 104 | 9779 | 414 |
T20 | 5 | 114 | 8 |
FC | 594 | 50277 | 1042 |
List A | 257 | 29719 | 881 |
So, this is the bowling career stat of the ‘King Of Swing’. So, you see, the type of player Wasim Akram was’, he well deserved all the fame he got. However, he had gone all praises in the case of Brian Lara, stating in an interview: “The Prince Of Trinidad never Ceases to amaze.”
Unfortunate Incidents
Wasim Akram match-fixing had been one of the buzzing topics at a time in the cricket world. Well, Wasim has never been found guilty. In this case, Akhter said that Akram never did anything of that sort actively or passively. In this case, he is different from Sachin Tendulkar.
Interesting Facts About Wasim Akram
In this section, you would come to know some interesting facts about Wasim Akram. Check them out below:
➼ Wasim Akram was diagnosed with diabetes when he was only 30. ➼ The name of Wasim Akram first wife was Huma Mufti.They married in 1995. ➼ The present Wasim Akram wife is Shaniera Thompson. ➼ A complete family man, Wasim Akram stays in Karachi. ➼ The player has three children. The names of Wasim Akram children are Akbar, Tahmoor, and Aiyla Sabeen Rose.
As of now, Wasim Akram has a glittering media presence and he is well into the commentary. He is one player who has been a motivating figure to many. He is even attached to a lot of philanthropic words.
Frequently Asked Questions
While Wasim Akram played cricket for a longer time than Waqar, the latter is statistically a better bowler. However, Akram has a large fan base that considers him the best.
Waqar Younis is called the King of Reverse Swing due to his outstanding talent in it. He has been a teammate of Akram for a long time.
Shahid Afridi is now the King Of Googly. He is best known for his unpredictable balls.
Sachin Tendulkar is the God Of Cricket. He is so called because of his humongous amount of runs. Moreover, he was also a gifted spinner.
Final Words
Wasim Akram has forever heen a colorful man on the field. In his cricketing days, he was adored for his aggression with a smile. Apart from the Pakistanis, he had fans in all corners of the world.
Even today, a lot of acquaintances take Akram’s name with a smile. He is a happy family man now but well attached to cricket.