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Wasim Akram Pakistan (Pak)
Batting style	Left hand bat
Bowling type	Left arm fast
	Tests	ODIs
Matches	104	356
Runs scored	2898	3717
Batting average	22.64	16.52
100s/50s	3/7	0/6
Top score	257*	86
Overs bowled	3771.1	3031
Wickets	414	502
Bowling average	23.62	23.52
5 wickets in innings	25	6
10 wickets in match	9	n/a
Best bowling	7/119	5/15
Catches/stumpings	44/0	88/0
As of 1 January 2005 Source: Cricinfo.com

Wasim Akram (Urdu: وسیم اکرم) (born June 3, 1966 in Lahore) is a Pakistani former cricketer. He was primarily a left arm fast bowler and represented the Pakistani cricket team in Tests and One-Day Internationals. He is widely regarded as one of the finest fast bowlers ever and holds world records for the number of wickets taken both in ODIs (502) and in List A cricket (881) ^{[1] [2]}. A statistical analysis carried out by Wisden in 2002 ranked him as the best ODI fast bowler of all time. ^{[3] [4]}.

Contents 1 Playing style 2 An emerging career 3 One Day success 4 International records 5 Controversies 6 County cricket 7 Retirement 8 References 9 External Links

An immensely talented player first discovered by Imran Khan, Wasim Akram played for his school as an opening bowler and batsman. As a bowler, Wasim possessed genuine pace, accurate control of line and length and seam position, and could swing the ball both in and out. With a very deceptive ball-concealing action, he could bowl equally well from both sides of the wicket. His mastery of reverse swing with the old ball meant he was at his most dangerous towards the end of an innings, and earned him the nickname Sultan of Swing. Brian Lara, Test cricket's all-time leader in runs scored, is quoted as saying: "over my 15 or 16 years of playing international cricket in Tests and one-day internationals, Wasim Akram is definitely the most outstanding bowler I've ever faced." ^[5]

Rather than attempting to find the edge of the bat, he tended to focus his attack on the stumps and had a particularly lethal yorker. Resultantly, lbw b Wasim Akram is the 2nd most common form of dismissal not involving a fielder (b Muralitharan being first). In partnership with Waqar Younis, he intimidated international batsmen in the 1990s. Together Wasim and Waqar, known as "the two W's" of the Pakistani team, were considered one of the most successful bowling partnerships ever ^[6].

Wasim was also skilled with the bat and was regarded as a bowling all-rounder. He was especially effective against spinners. However, he liked to slog and was criticised for his lack of big scores and giving away his wicket too cheaply for a player of his talent. He did silence his critics in October 1996 when he scored 257 not out of a total of 553 against Zimbabwe at Sheikhupura. He also made good scores in difficult times for the Pakistan team such as his 123 against Australia and his 45 not-out to take Pakistan to victory in a low-scoring match. Pakistan, needing six runs in two balls two win the Nehru Cup saw Akram come out to bat. The first ball he faced was hit out of the ground and secured the cup.

Wasim made his Test debut for Pakistani cricket team against New Zealand in early 1985 and in only his second Test he made his presence felt with a ten-wicket haul. Like a few other Pakistani cricketers of his time, he was identified at club level and bypassed first-class domestic competition, entering international cricket directly. A few weeks prior to his selection into the Pakistani team, he was an unknown club cricketer who had failed to make it to his college team. He was spotted by the Pakistani cricket captain Imran Khan, who came across him while paying a visit to his club. Later that season he paired with Imran at the World Championship of Cricket in Australia who became his mentor.

Wasim's rise in international cricket was rapid during the initial years. When Pakistan toured the West Indies in 1988, he looked to be the quickest bowler between the two sides. A serious groin injury, however, impeded his career in late 1980s. Following two surgeries he re-emerged in 1990 as a bowler who focussed more on swing and control than speed.

Wasim was instrumental in Pakistan's famous World Cup victory in 1992 in Australia. In the final against England he produced a devastating spell which included Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis being clean-bowled in successive deliveries. This earned him the Man of the Match award for the final. Along with this, he produced a good score with the bat at the end of the Pakistan innings.

He also captained Pakistan with some success. The high points of his captaincy were the 1996-97 victory in the World Series in Australia, two Test match wins in India in 1998-99 and in 1999, when Pakistan reached the World Cup final for the second time. The low point was the 1996 World Cup in Pakistan and India, when he had to pull out of the crucial quarter final match against India. After Pakistan's defeat, there were angry protests outside his homes, and a government inquiry was launched into the failure.

In 1999, he led Pakistan to the brink of victory in the World Cup before they gifted the final to Australia. This was the start of the match-fixing controversies, as people believed Akram had set up the match for Australia. He was pardoned by Justice Qayyum.

He was Pakistan's top bowler in the 2003 Cricket World Cup taking 19 wickets in 7 matches. After the 2003 World Cup when Pakistan failed to reach the top 8 group, eight players were sacked by the Pakistan Cricket Board including Akram himself.

Akram was diagnosed with diabetes at the peak of his career, but despite the initial psychological blow, he managed to regain his form and went on to produce fine cricketing displays. Since then he has actively sought to involved in various awareness-raising campaigns for diabeties.^[7]

In his Test career, Akram took 414 wickets (a Pakistani record, and 8th all time), at an excellent bowling average of 23.62, and scored 2,898 runs, at a batting average of 22.64. In One-Day Internationals, Wasim took a world record 502 wickets in 356 appearances and scored 3,717 runs. Wasim was the first bowler in international cricket to take more than 400 wickets in both forms of the game, and only Muttiah Muralitharan has since achieved this. Wasim Akram also holds the record for the second most wickets in Cricket World Cups — a total of 55 in 38 matches, next only to Glenn McGrath of Australia. ^[8]

Uniquely, Wasim took four hat-tricks in international cricket, two each in Tests and ODIs. He is one of only three bowlers to have taken two hat-tricks in Tests (the others being Hugh Trumble and Jimmy Matthews). Wasim's Test hat-tricks are unique, since they were taken in consecutive Test matches in the same series, against Sri Lanka in 1999. He is also one of only three bowlers to have taken two hat-tricks in ODIs (the other two being Chaminda Vaas of Sri Lankaand fellow Pakistani teammate Saqlain Mushtaq) . He is one of only two bowlers to have taken a Test hat-trick and an ODI hat-trick (the other being fellow Pakistani Mohammad Sami). Finally, playing against West Indies at Lahore in 1990-91, he became one of only three players to have taken four wickets in five balls (the other two are Maurice Allom and Chris Old, both of England). In Wasim's case, the feat was not part of a hat-trick, the third ball of the series being a dot ball, albeit it was a dropped catch.

Wasim has also achieved the highest score by a number eight batsman in Test cricket — 257 not out from 363 balls against Zimbabwe at Sheikhupura. This innings contained 12 sixes which is also a world record for Test cricket.

He also has the joint-highest number of Man of the Match awards in Test cricket with 17 ^[9].

In 1992, after he had been successful against English batsmen, accusations of ball tampering began to appear in the English press, though no video evidence was ever found. Wasim and Waqar had been able to obtain prodigious amounts of movement from old balls. This phenomenon, termed reverse swing was relatively unknown in England at the time.

A far larger controversy was created when he was alleged to be involved in match fixing. An enquiry commission was set up by Pakistan Cricket Board headed by a Pakistan high court judge Malik Mohammed Qayyum. The judge wrote in his report that This commission feels that all is not well here and that Wasim Akram is not above board. He has not co-operated with this Commission. It is only by giving Wasim Akram the benefit of the doubt after Ata-ur-Rehman changed his testimony in suspicious circumstances that he has not been found guilty of match-fixing. He cannot be said to be above suspicion. ^[10]

Wasim signed for Lancashire in 1988 and went on to become one of their most successful overseas players. From 1988 to 1998, he spearheaded their attack in their NatWest Trophy, Benson & Hedges Cup and Sunday League winning sides. He was a favourite of the local fans who used to sing a song called "Wasim for England" at Lancashire's matches.

Wasim retired in 2003, after a brief spell with Hampshire in England. Since then, Wasim has taken up commentary and can currently be seen as a sportscaster for the ESPN STAR Network, and is also running shows on ARY digital.

He is married to Huma Mufti, daughter of Mr. Humayaun Mufti. Huma and Wasim have 2 sons from their marriage of 10 years.

• Wasim Akram at Cricinfo
• WASIM AKRAM International Who's Who. accessed September 3, 2006.
• The left hand of God Cricinfo

Bowlers who have taken 400 Test wickets
Shane Warne (AUS) | Muttiah Muralitharan (SL) | Glenn McGrath (AUS) | Anil Kumble (IND) | Courtney Walsh (WI) Kapil Dev (IND) | Richard Hadlee (NZ) | Wasim Akram (PAK) | Curtly Ambrose (WI) | Shaun Pollock (SA)

Bowlers who have taken 5 wickets in a Test innings 25 times or more
Muttiah Muralitharan (SL) | Richard Hadlee (NZ) | Anil Kumble (IND) | Shane Warne (AUS) Ian Botham (ENG) | Wasim Akram (PAK) | Glenn McGrath (AUS)

Bowlers who have taken 400 One-day International wickets
Wasim Akram (PAK) | Muttiah Muralitharan (SL) | Waqar Younis (PAK)

Cricketers who have achieved the 'All-rounder's Double' (2000 runs/200 wickets) in Test matches
Wasim Akram 78 Tests | Richie Benaud 60 Tests | Ian Botham 42 Tests | Chris Cairns 58 Tests |Sir Richard Hadlee 54 Tests Jacques Kallis 102 Tests | Kapil Dev 50 Tests | Imran Khan 50 Tests | Anil Kumble 110 Tests | Shaun Pollock 56 Tests Sir Garfield Sobers 80 Tests | Chaminda Vaas 82 Tests | Daniel Vettori 69 Tests | Shane Warne 100 Tests