Wasim Akram
Arguably the
greatest left-arm paceman in history
Born 03.06.1966
BATTING (World
Cups 1987-2003)
Matches.....38
Innings.....30
Not Out.....8
Highest Score.....43
Runs.....426
Average.....19.36
Strike-rate.....100.70
Catches.....8
BOWLING (World
Cups 1987-2003)
Balls.....1947
Maidens.....17
Runs.....1311
Wickets.....55
Average.....23.83
Best.....5/28
Runs Per Over.....4.04
Many
saw Wasim Akram as a left-handed version of Imran Khan. The problem with
drawing such parallels is that one is expected to be virtually a clone of the
other. Certainly both have been great cricketers in their own right, one more
of an allrounder than the other, but as different to each other as any two
human beings can be. The most striking thing about Akram was that he has been
as brilliant a fast bowler in One-day Internationals as in Test matches. Even
more commendable, he was an attacking bowler in One-day cricket as well.
Therein lies Wasim Akram’s true greatness, and it is hardly surprising that he
became the first bowler to capture 400 wickets at the highest level in both
versions of the game.
Has
anyone seen Akram bowl defensively? How could he when he was doing so many
different things – slanting the ball away and then bringing it in, bowling
fast, short deliveries and slower ones, bouncing them one minute and pushing
through yorkers the next, and well directed most of the time. Without doubt, he
was one of the most exciting bowlers to watch. There was action all the way
since the time this big man started on his short, straight run-up, and then
delivered with his quick arm action, sending the ball on its unpredictable
course. In Akram’s bowling there was energy and vitality, an electricity that
was almost visible to the discerning eye.
By
1987 Akram was beginning to vie with the ageing Imran as the no.1 bowler,
though the charismatic Khan was still something special and Wasim a young colt
on the learning curve. Imran was nearly 35, and Akram just 21. They had similar
figures in the opening match against Sri Lanka at the Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad
(Sind). Imran took two for 42 off 10 overs, while Akram bagged two for 41 in
9.2 overs. Thereafter the seasoned pro stole a march over the rising star.
Akram’s day would come, surely.
He
took two for 45 off 10 overs in the thrilling win over the West Indies. Though
wicketless in the next two matches, he swung his bat merrily at the Sri Lankan
bowling, having been given the opportunity to bat at no.5. He slammed 39 off 40
balls with 2 sixes and 2 fours, and figured in a whirlwind partnership of 60
for the fourth wicket with Salim Malik.
Akram
bowled splendidly in the last league encounter even though the West Indies
handed Pakistan their first defeat in the competition. He went through the
defence of Phil Simmons early in the innings, and also knocked back the stumps
of the great Vivian Richards in his last innings in the World Cup. Richards
(67) had put on 137 for the third wicket with Richie Richardson. Akram also
castled Roger Harper to finish with three for 45 off his 10 overs.
Contrary
to expectations, the semi-final against Australia at Lahore was not a happy one
for Pakistan, nor for Akram. He ended up without a wicket and it was apparent
that he had still some way to go before he matured into a top-class bowler,
particularly on lifeless wickets. Sent in at no.6 to perk up the scoring-rate,
he smashed 2 sixes in his hurricane 20 off 13 balls, but that was not enough.
In
1992 Wasim Akram was close to his peak, and the wickets too were more suitable.
Imran returned for one last crack at the title but now, a few months short of
40, he was more of a batsman, and Akram the leading bowler. Pakistan, though,
did not get off to a good start in this tournament, going down to the West
Indies by 10 wickets. The next match against Zimbabwe posed fewer problems with
Imran returning after injury. Akram was in irresistible form dismissing the two
Andys, Flower and Pycroft, to send the Zimbabweans reeling at 14 for two. He
came back later to remove the third Andy, Waller, and snuff out the last
vestiges of resistance. Akram finished with three for 21, in the process
completing 150 wickets in One-day Internationals, only the second Pakistani to
achieve the feat after the peerless Imran.
In
the abandoned match against England at Adelaide, Akram had time only to have
Graham Gooch caught behind before the rain came down. Next was a humiliating
defeat in Sydney at the hands of India, with Akram off-colour. The South
Africans also beat Pakistan but Akram picked up two wickets for 42 in his 10
overs.
The
Pakistani recovery began in Perth with a fine win over hosts Australia. Akram
bagged two for 28 off 7.2 overs to seal the victory. Sri Lanka were duly
brushed aside with Akram picking up the wicket of opener Roshan Mahanama.
Pakistan’s
final league match in Christchurch against the unconquered New Zealanders was
crucial if they were to make it to the semi-finals. They rose to the occasion
and Akram, the champion bowler, was devastating. He trapped Andrew Jones
leg-before, and then struck a deathblow, having skipper Martin Crowe caught by
Aamir Sohail. New Zealand slumped to 96 for seven, and then 106 for eight. They
recovered somewhat to reach 150 but Akram, in a final burst, consumed the last
two wickets to leave his side a modest 167 for a win. Akram’s final figures
were four for 32 off 9.2 overs. Pakistan achieved the target easily to set up a
semi-final clash again with New Zealand at Auckland.
The
penultimate round saw a closely contested match in which Pakistan pipped the
Kiwis. Akram took two for 40 in 10 overs as his side entered the final for the
first time.
Came
the big test, the first final under lights, at the imposing Melbourne Cricket
Ground. The old war-horses Imran Khan and Javed Miandad steadied Pakistan after
early reverses. Akram was sent in at no.6 to boost the run-rate. And how well
he carried out his brief! He belted 33 off just 19 deliveries with four
boundaries, adding 52 in a flash with Inzaman-ul-Haq and helping Pakistan reach
249.
Akram
had not finished yet. With the big prize now in sight, he was like a man
possessed. He quickly rocked the English boat by having Ian Botham caught
behind for a duck. Later, the fifth-wicket pair of Neil Fairbrother and Allan
Lamb dug in with a stand of 72 to carry England to 141 for four. The game was
still in the balance. It was then that Imran brought Akram back into the
attack. He struck a stunning blow by clean bowling Lamb. Then off the very next
ball he shattered Chris Lewis’ stumps to create a sensation around the stadium.
Akram had suddenly turned the match decisively in Pakistan’s favour. After that
the chase was never really on. Akram finished with three for 49. Pakistan
lifted the Cup and their real hero was Wasim Akram. His allround histrionics
had won them the biggest prize in One-day cricket. Without a shadow of doubt
the man-of-the-match was Akram. Pakistan cricket’s proudest hour was one of
Akram’s finest.
There
is some kind of a hoodoo about the hosts never winning the World Cup. In 1996
it was Pakistan’s turn to stage the final and they were keen to break the jinx,
with Akram now at the helm. They brushed aside the United Arab Republic,
winners of the ICC Trophy for the associate members. Akram took two for 25 in 7
overs, though opener Saleem Raza took some runs off him including a big six
over square-leg. Their second match was also against a lightweight outfit,
Holland, and Pakistan won in a canter.
Pakistan
stumbled at the first hurdle as South Africa trounced them. Akram showed
flashes of his brilliance as a batsman with some big hitting. He scored a
rapid-fire unbeaten 32 off just 25 balls with three fours. But he fared poorly
with the ball. The South Africans cruised to a comfortable win.
Akram’s
side put its act together to decimate England. There was another comfortable
win over New Zealand in the last group match, and Akram gave one more rare
glimpse of his prowess with the willow. He joined Salim Malik at 200 for five
with less than 10 overs left. They launched a tremendous assault, belting 80
runs before the close of the innings. Akram hit 28 not out off 26 deliveries,
but while making one of his big hits he strained his side and was unable to bowl.
The
injury prevented Akram from playing in the high-voltage quarter-final against
India. All hell broke loose when Pakistan lost. All kinds of allegations were
made, including insinuations that Akram had faked his injury in order to avoid
playing this match. Akram and his team mates had to keep a low profile till
public fury abated. It was a sad way for the defending champions to exit from
the tournament.
Not
surprisingly for Pakistan cricket, Akram was captain again in 1999. The side
was in strife at a dismal 135 for six as it took on the West Indies. Akram hit
a whirlwind 43 off just 29 balls with 2 sixes and 4 fours to bail out the team.
It was the top score of the innings. His 74-run seventh-wicket partnership with
Azhar Mahmood swung the match Pakistan’s way.
The
next sojourn against rookies Scotland should have been comfortable but Pakistan
slumped to 92 for five before Yousuf Youhana and Moin Khan staged a recovery.
Akram walked in at 195 for six and was in his elements again, smashing an
unbeaten 37 off 19 deliveries with 2 sixes and 2 fours. He allied with young
Youhana as they blazed away in an unbroken partnership of 66. Akram then
rattled the Scottish batsmen in tandem with Shoaib Akhtar, reducing them to 19
for five. He finally finished with three for 23 off 7.5 overs as Pakistan
wrapped up their second victory.
The
first big test came against Australia. Akram helped boost his side’s total to
275 with a quickfire 13 off 12 balls. He was then devastating with the ball. He
scattered Adam Gilchrist’s stumps for a duck in the first over. He returned
later to make a huge breakthrough, having Michael Bevan caught by Ijaz Ahmed.
‘Terminator’ Bevan, who scored 61, was taking the game away from Pakistan,
having put on 113 for the fifth wicket with skipper Steve Waugh. In the tense
last over, with Australia requiring 11 runs off 4 deliveries, Akram smashed through
Damien Martyn’s defence, and repeated the dose two balls later on last man
Glenn McGrath. Pakistan scraped through by 10 runs in a high-scoring match, and
Akram finished with four for 40 in 9.5 overs.
With
his team riding a crest, Akram had a quiet time in an easy win over New
Zealand. But if Pakistan felt they were in the comfort zone, they were in for a
rude shock. The gritty Bangladeshis, playing their first World Cup, scored a
respectable 223 for nine. Pakistan ran into trouble straightaway, literally,
with their poor running between wickets. Medium-pacer Khaled Mahmud did just as
much damage. In between, Akram tried to shore up the innings with a 55-run
sixth-wicket stand with Azhar Mahmood.
But his side collapsed for 161 in one of the most stunning upsets in
World Cup history. Some months later, when the match-fixing scandal broke out,
this game was one of those cited as being tanked by Pakistan. Whatever the
truth, suddenly alarm bells began to ring for Akram.
He
hardly made his presence felt as his team went down to South Africa in their
first super-six match. He then committed a gaffe by terming the upcoming
encounter against India as a ‘practice match’, prompting television commentator
Geoffrey Boycott to exclaim in his inimitable style: “Practice match! But they
haven’t reached the semi-final yet”. Some practice match it was, for Pakistan
slumped to a 47-run defeat, extending the dubious distinction of not ever
having been able to beat India in the World Cup. Akram bowled tidily to pick up
the wickets of Rahul Dravid and Mohammad Azharuddin. He finished with two for
27 off his 10 overs but his batsmen faltered. This match too was to be labelled
as fixed.
By
now Pakistan, one of the favourites, who had won their first four matches on
the trot, were facing the prospect of being eliminated from the tournament.
They, however, rose to the occasion and annihilated surprise-qualifiers
Zimbabwe, even as Akram played a peripheral role.
Pakistan
had an easy ride in the semi-final against New Zealand with Akram picking up
two for 45. But on the day of reckoning at Lord’s, Pakistan choked. Akram had
to rest content with the runners-up prize as Australia ran away easy victors.
There was to be no repeat for Akram of that glorious triumph of 1992.
The
2003 World Cup was his swansong. He shook up the invincible Aussies. Revelling
in cloudy weather, and a still-moist wicket, he had Adam Gilchrist snapped up
by skipper Waqar Younis for 1. Matthew Hayden tried to attack but edged one on
to the stumps. The next ball came in sharply to the right-handed Damien Martyn
who barely managed a nick before it castled him. The reigning champions were
reeling at 52 for three. A stupendous knock by Andrew Symonds bailed them out.
Akram finished with three for 64. The Pakistani batsmen never measured up to
the task of chasing a 300-plus score. Joining Rashid Latif at 147 for seven,
Akram played a typically belligerent knock. He swung his bat around for 33 off
31 balls, slamming 4 fours and a six. The pair added 54 runs before the
inevitable.
This
was really the final flicker, for henceforth Akram shone only against the
minnows. The greenhorns from Namibia were mesmerised by his brilliance.
Enjoying himself briefly once again with the willow, he smashed an unbeaten 20
off 14 deliveries with 3 boundaries. Then in tandem with Shoaib Akhtar he
reduced the new entrants from Africa to 42 for nine, before the last pair
doubled the score. Akram grabbed five for 28 off 9 overs, becoming the first
bowler to capture 50 wickets in the World Cup. He also took away his second
man-of-the-match award of the showpiece event.
Between two demoralising defeats at the hands of England and India, in
which Akram was below par, Pakistan trounced Holland. The great left-armer
created history by taking his 500th wicket in One-day
Internationals, setting up a new benchmark for others to emulate. He dismissed
three Dutch batsmen for 24 in one final display of incisiveness. Rain curtailed
the last fixture with Zimbabwe. Pakistan were not destined to go beyond the
first round this time.
Even
so, Wasim Akram, the top wicket-taker in the World Cup, has carved out a niche
for himself. Controversy has needlessly marred his career, but each time he came
back firing on all cylinders. Maybe if such unpleasant and frequent diversions
did not hamper his path, forcing him to remind his detractors time and again of
the matchless skills at his command, Akram would have been an even more
astounding cricketer. What makes his achievements even more remarkable is that
he has been dogged by diabetes over the last few years.
There are also those who
say that he did not realise his full batting potential. They are perhaps right,
for his failure to score even a single half-century in five World Cups, during
which he played 30 innings, does not do justice to his reputation as an
exciting allrounder. But it is not easy to come up with big scores for one who
batted at no.6 and 7 in One-day games. At the same time it has to be said that
Akram did not cash in on the opportunities that came his way. His strike-rate
of 100.70 runs per 100 balls makes him one in just five in the World Cup who
have scored at a run-a-ball among batsmen who have faced at least 250 balls.
Some players are referred to as batsmen who bowl occasionally. Akram was a
great bowler who batted in a sensational manner occasionally.
(Author Indra Vikram Singh can be contacted
on email singh_iv@hotmail.com).
The
Big Book of World Cup Cricket 1975-2011
ISBN
978-81-901668-4-3
Distributed
in India by Variety Book Depot, Connaught Place, New Delhi, Phones + 91 11
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