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	-/6
Top score	257*	86
Balls bowled	22627	18186
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/-	88/-
As of 1 January 2005 Source: Cricinfo.com Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Warwickshire batsman Mike Powell A batsman in the sport of cricket is, depending on context: Any player in the act of batting. ... In the sport of cricket there are two broad categories of bowlers: pace bowlers and spin bowlers. ... Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. ... A Test match between South Africa and England in January 2005. ... One-day International (ODI) is a form of cricket, which is played over 50 overs per side between two national cricket teams. ... Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively. ... Bold textBold textBold textBold textBold textBold textBold textBold textBold textBold textBold textBold textBold textBold textBold textBold textBold textBold textBold textA delivery or ball in cricket is a single action of bowling a... M*A*S*H, see Sticky Wicket (M*A*S*H episode). ... Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket. ... An innings, or inning, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably baseball and cricket – during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. ... In the sport of cricket, the term stump has three different meanings: 1. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Wasim Akram (Urdu: وسیم اکرم) (born June 3, 1966 in Lahore, Punjab) is a former Pakistani cricketer. He was a left-arm fast bowler and left-handed batsman, who 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 most wickets taken in both ODIs (502) and List A cricket (881).^[1][2][3] Urdu ( , , trans. ... is the 154th day of the year (155th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ... Lahore (Urdu: لاہور, Punjabi: لہور, pronounced ) is the capital of the province of Punjab, and is the second most densely populated city in Pakistan. ... This article is about the Pakistani province. ... Bowler Shaun Pollock bowls to batsman Michael Hussey. ... Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. ... The Pakistani cricket team is a national cricket team representing Pakistan. ... A Test match between South Africa and England in January 2005. ... One-day International (ODI) is a form of cricket, which is played over 50 overs per side between two national cricket teams. ... One-day International (ODI) is a form of cricket, which is played over 50 overs per side between two national cricket teams. ... List A cricket is a classification of the limited-overs (one-day) form of the sport of cricket. ...

Domestic career

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. Lancashire County Cricket Club is one of the eighteen major county clubs which make up the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Lancashire. ... The Friends Provident Trophy is a one day cricket competition in the United Kingdom. ... // The National League, currently sponsored as the Pro 40 League and formerly the totesport League, is the one-day cricket league for first class cricket counties in England. ...

International career

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 even 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, who became his mentor, at the World Championship of Cricket in Australia. A Test match between South Africa and England in January 2005. ... The Pakistani cricket team is a national cricket team representing Pakistan. ... Imran Khan (Urdu/Pashto: عمران احمد خان نیازی) (Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi; son of Ikram Ullah Khan Niazi Shermankhel) born November 25, 1952, in Mianwali is an Oxbridge educated Pakistani former cricketer turned politician and philanthropist. ... The Benson & Hedges World Championship of Cricket was a one day international tournament held in February and March 1985 in Australia. ...

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. However, a serious groin injury impeded his career in the late 1980s. Following two surgeries, he re-emerged in 1990 as a bowler who focused more on swing and control than speed.

One-Day success

Wasim was instrumental in Pakistan's famous World Cup victory in 1992 in Australia. In the final against England his late flurry of an innings, 33 off 19 balls, pushed Pakistan to a respectable 249 for 6. Wasim then took the all-important wicket of Ian Botham early on, and when brought back into the attack later on, with the ball reverse swinging, he produced a devastating spell which led to Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis being clean-bowled in successive deliveries. His excellent performances earned him the Man of the Match award for the final.^[4][5] The Cricket World Cup in 1992 (aka Benson & Hedges World Cup) was the fifth edition of the tournament and was won by Pakistan. ... The English cricket team is a national cricket team which nominally represents England and Wales, but is a de facto United Kingdom team. ... Ian Terence Botham OBE, (born November 24, 1955 in Heswall, Cheshire) (nicknamed Both, Beefy, Beef or Guy the Gorilla) is a retired England Test cricketer. ... Allan Joseph Lamb (born 20 June 1954) is a former English cricketer. ... Christopher Clairmonte Lewis (born February 14, 1968 in Georgetown, Guyana) is an English cricket player who played for Nottinghamshire, Surrey and Leicestershire in the 1990s. ... In sport, a man of the match or player of the game or man of the series award is given to the outstanding player in a particular match or series. ...

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. The 1999 Cricket World Cup was hosted primarily by England, but Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands also hosted some games. ... The 1996 Cricket World Cup was won by Sri Lanka who beat Australia by 7 wickets at the final in Lahore. ...

In 1999, he led Pakistan to the brink of victory in the World Cup before they rolled over and gave 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 World Cup taking 19 wickets in 7 matches. However, Pakistan failed to reach the "Super Six" phase of the tournament, and Akram was one of the eight players to be sacked by the Pakistan Cricket Board as a result. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Pakistan Cricket Board is responsible for all first class and Test cricket played in and by the Pakistan cricket team Pakistan was admitted to the International Cricket Council in July 1953 after having been a part of India prior to partition in 1947. ...

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 be involved in various awareness-raising campaigns for diabetes.^[6] This article is about the disease that features high blood sugar. ...

Playing style

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. Imran Khan (Urdu/Pashto: عمران احمد خان نیازی) (Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi; son of Ikram Ullah Khan Niazi Shermankhel) born November 25, 1952, in Mianwali is an Oxbridge educated Pakistani former cricketer turned politician and philanthropist. ... Seam bowling is a phrase used for a cricket bowling technique whereby the ball is deliberately bowled onto its seam, to cause a random deviation. ... Swing bowling is a technique used for bowling in the sport of cricket. ... Swing bowling is a technique used for bowling in the sport of cricket. ...

As well as often being able to find the edge of the bat, Wasim would also focus his attack on the stumps and had a particularly lethal yorker. Of his 414 Test wickets, 193 were taken caught, 119 were taken LBW and 102 were bowled.^[8][9][10] In partnership with Waqar Younis, he intimidated international batsmen in the 1990s. Together Wasim and Waqar, known as "the two Ws" of the Pakistani team, were one of the most successful bowling partnerships ever.^[11] In cricket, a yorker is a delivery where the cricket ball bounces on the cricket pitch on or near the batsmans popping crease. ... In the sport of cricket, leg before wicket (LBW) is one of the ways in which a batsman can be dismissed. ... Waqar Younis (Urdu: وقار یونس) (born November 16, 1971 as Waqar Younis Maitla) is a Pakistani cricketer, a fast bowler, from Burewala, Punjab. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ...

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 the team's 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. Ahmed Bilal was his coach who gave him tricks on reverse swing. An all-rounder is a cricket player who excels at both batting and bowling. ... Sheikhupura or Shekhupura (Urdu: شيخوپورہ) is an industrial city in the province of Punjab, in Pakistan. ...

Records

• In his Test career, Wasim took 414 wickets in 104 matches, a Pakistani record, at an average of 23.62, and scored 2,898 runs, at an average of 22.64.^[12]

• In One-Day Internationals, Wasim took a world record 502 wickets in 356 appearances, at an average of 23.52, and scored 3,717 runs, at an average of 16.52.^[2]

• 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.^[12][2]

• Wasim Akram also held the record for the most wickets in Cricket World Cups — a total of 55 in 38 matches. Australia's Glenn McGrath broke the record during the 2007 World Cup, ending with a final tally of 77 from 39 matches.^[13] On passing Wasim's record, McGrath said, "Wasim Akram, to me, is one of the greatest bowlers of all time. Left-armer, swung it both ways with the new ball and he was so dangerous with the old ball. To go past him is something I will always remember. Probably the other side of the coin is that if you play long enough, you're going to break records here and there."^[14]

• 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 Test hat-tricks (the others being Hugh Trumble and Jimmy Matthews), and also one of only three bowlers to have taken two ODI hat-tricks (the others being fellow Pakistani Saqlain Mushtaq and Chaminda Vaas of Sri Lanka). Wasim's Test hat-tricks are unique, since they were taken in consecutive Test matches in the same series, against Sri Lanka in 1999. Wasim is also one of only two bowlers to have taken both a Test and ODI hat-trick (the other being fellow Pakistani Mohammad Sami).^[15][16]

• Playing in a Test against the West Indies at Lahore in 1990-91, he became one of only six players to have taken four wickets in an over during a Test match. In Wasim's case, the feat was not part of a hat-trick, the third ball of the series being a dropped catch, which allowed a single.^[17][18]

• 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. The innings contained 12 sixes which is also a world record for Test cricket.^[19][20]

• He also has the joint-highest number of Man of the Match awards in Test cricket, along with South African Jacques Kallis, with 17.^[21]

A Test match between South Africa and England in January 2005. ... Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket. ... Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively. ... One-day International (ODI) is a form of cricket, which is played over 50 overs per side between two national cricket teams. ... Muttiah Muralitharan (born April 17, 1972 in Kandy, Sri Lanka), often referred to simply as Murali, is a Sri Lankan cricketer who is generally regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in cricket history. ... The Cricket World Cup is the premier international championship of mens One-Day International (ODI) cricket. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was a mens cricket tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007, using the sports one-day international format. ... In sports, a hat-trick (more often rendered in North America as hat trick, without the hyphen) is associated with achieving something in a group of three. ... Australian Fred Spofforth dismissed three English batsmen with consecutive deliveries at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia on 2 January 1879 to take the first hat-trick in Test cricket in only the third Test match. ... Hugh Trumble (born May 12, 1867 in Abbotsford, Melbourne, Victoria - died August 14, 1938 in Hawthorn, Melbourne) was an Australian cricketer. ... Thomas James Matthews (April 3, 1884, Mount Gambier, South Australia - October 14, 1943, Melbourne, Victoria) was an Australian Test cricketer. ... This is a list of all hat-tricks in One-day International cricket. ... Saqlain Mushtaq (Urdu: ثقلین مشتاق) (born December 29, 1976 in Lahore, Punjab) is a Pakistani cricketer, an off spin bowler. ... Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas, (born 27 January 1974 in Mattumagala), usually known as Chaminda Vaas, is a Sri Lankan cricketer who is regarded as being the best fast bowler to come out of the country. ... Mohammad Sami (Urdu: محمد سمیع) (born 24 February 1981 in Karachi) is a Pakistani cricketer who specialises in fast bowling. ... Learie Constantine, was one of the first great West Indian players. ... Sheikhupura or Shekhupura (Urdu: شيخوپورہ) is an industrial city in the province of Punjab, in Pakistan. ... Boundary has two distinct meanings in the sport of cricket. ... Jacques Henry Kallis (born 16 October 1975 in Cape Town) is a South African cricketer. ...

Controversies

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 sample cricket ball. ... Swing bowling is a technique used for bowling in the sport of cricket. ...

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.^[22]

Professor Atta-ur-Rahman has had an outstanding academic career securing First Class First Positions in Overseas School Certificate (Cambridge University, 1958), Overseas Higher School Certificate (Cambridge University, 1960) and M.Sc. ...

Retirement

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. Hampshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Hampshire. ... ESPN STAR Sports (or ESS) is a joint venture between ESPN and STAR TV which offers 15 customized television feeds and transmits in five languages (Cantonese, English, Hindi, Korean and Mandarin) to 25 countries throughout Asia. ... ARY Digital is a popular Pakistani television network that is available in Pakistan, the Middle East and Europe. ...

He is married to Huma Mufti, daughter of Mr. Humayaun Mufti. Huma and Wasim have two sons from their marriage of thirteen years.^[23]

See also

• Pakistan national cricket team
• Waqar Younis
• Swing bowling

The Pakistan national cricket team is a national cricket team representing Pakistan. ... Waqar Younis (Urdu: وقار یونس) (born November 16, 1971 as Waqar Younis Maitla) is a Pakistani cricketer, a fast bowler, from Burewala, Punjab. ... Swing bowling is a technique used for bowling in the sport of cricket. ...

References

Cricinfo is the largest cricket-related website and one of the largest websites in the world with more than 20 million users. ... is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Cricinfo is the largest cricket-related website and one of the largest websites in the world with more than 20 million users. ... is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Cricinfo is the largest cricket-related website and one of the largest websites in the world with more than 20 million users. ... is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Cricinfo is the largest cricket-related website and one of the largest websites in the world with more than 20 million users. ... is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Cricinfo is the largest cricket-related website and one of the largest websites in the world with more than 20 million users. ... is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... BBC Newsline is the BBCs regional television news service for Northern Ireland. ... is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Cricinfo is the largest cricket-related website and one of the largest websites in the world with more than 20 million users. ... is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Cricinfo is the largest cricket-related website and one of the largest websites in the world with more than 20 million users. ... is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Cricinfo is the largest cricket-related website and one of the largest websites in the world with more than 20 million users. ... is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Cricinfo is the largest cricket-related website and one of the largest websites in the world with more than 20 million users. ... is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Cricinfo is the largest cricket-related website and one of the largest websites in the world with more than 20 million users. ... is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Cricinfo is the largest cricket-related website and one of the largest websites in the world with more than 20 million users. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Cricinfo is the largest cricket-related website and one of the largest websites in the world with more than 20 million users. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Cricinfo is the largest cricket-related website and one of the largest websites in the world with more than 20 million users. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Cricinfo is the largest cricket-related website and one of the largest websites in the world with more than 20 million users. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Cricinfo is the largest cricket-related website and one of the largest websites in the world with more than 20 million users. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Cricinfo is the largest cricket-related website and one of the largest websites in the world with more than 20 million users. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Cricinfo is the largest cricket-related website and one of the largest websites in the world with more than 20 million users. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Cricinfo is the largest cricket-related website and one of the largest websites in the world with more than 20 million users. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Cricinfo is the largest cricket-related website and one of the largest websites in the world with more than 20 million users. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... The Toronto Star is Canadas highest-circulation newspaper, though its print edition is distributed almost entirely within Ontario. ... is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

External links

• Wasim Akram - Cricinfo Player Profile
• The left hand of God

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