Truly a great legend. its sad to see him go. :(
Aman yaar..kabhi to marega..Jab marega tab Allah jannat naseeb kare..
Kuch log na samajhte hi nahi hai..
Former captains praise Wasim
Wasim Akram was showered with praise by former colleagues following his decision to end his 19-year international career, but Pakistan's selectors also came in for criticism over their handling of him.
Former captain Imran Khan, who mentored Wasim as an 18-year-old, hailed him as one of last century's greatest fast bowlers. "I reckon Wasim and West Indian Michael Holding are two of the best and most natural fast bowlers of the century," Khan told AFP.
Taking Wasim under his wing in 1984, Imran nurtured him until he became one of international cricket's most productive fast bowlers. "Grooming Wasim was the easiest thing because he was naturally gifted. All I ingrained in him was the ability to take wickets," said Imran, adding that the retirement decision was "the right thing."
But Imran accused the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) of ending Wasim's career in an undignified manner. "I do think the PCB should not have dumped him in such an unceremonious manner."
Another former captain, Zaheer Abbas, described Wasim as the "pride of Pakistani cricket." He continued: "Losing a player like Wasim is the most depressing thing. It will be hard to replace him."
But Amir Sohail, Pakistan's chief selector, denied Wasim's decision was prompted by his expulsion. "We did not close the doors on any senior player. Wasim could have staged a comeback," he said. "Wasim was a great servant of Pakistani cricket and I pay him the richest of tributes."
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Born 6 June 1966 in Lahore and still resides there with family in two different houses.
1984: Barely 18, takes part in a summer training camp under Pakistan Test bowler Khan Muhammad and is selected to play against touring New Zealand side in October. Takes seven wickets in his first class match against the touring New Zealand in Rawalpindi and gets official recognition by getting selected to play for Pakistan in the following One-day series. In his first match at Faisalabad takes no wicket in four overs that cost him much in Pakistan's victory. In his second Test at Dunedin against New Zealand on their home ground, takes 10 wickets in a lost cause.
1985: Surprises a strong Australian batting line up in a Mini-World Cup game at Perth with 5-21 and a mighty career is launched. Also, takes his first wicket in ODIs.
1986: Score his first Test fifty against West Indies at Faisalabad.
1987: Plays a star role in Pakistan's first Test series triumph against India in India and then against England on their home soil, both under the captaincy of Imran Khan. Also signs up with Lancashire County Cricket Club to play for them for the next four years. Takes his 50th ODI wicket by dismissing Sunil Gavaskar. The same year David Gower is his 50th Test victim.
1988: Plays his first season for Lancashire in the English season. Also takes a hat-trick and scores his first class century the same season.1989: In Sharjah, in match against the West Indies takes his first ODI hat-trick and also claims his 100th wicket in this form of the game. Three weeks later in India, hits master-blaster Viv Richards' penultimate ball Of the over and Pakistan's innings for a huge six at Eden Gardens in the final of the Nehru Cup and helps his side win the 'Rose' trophy.
1990: Takes his 100th Test wicket after getting Terry Alderman out in Melbourne early in the year. Scores his first Test century in the company of Imran Khan at Adelaide and in first 2 Test Matches carries away two Man of the Match awards. Also hits his highest ODI score of 86 at Melbourne. Both these achievements came against Australia under Allan Border. Two months later takes another ODI hat-trick at Sharjah against West Indies.
1992: Takes his 1 50th wicket in ODIs with Andy Flower's wicket. Pakistan wins the 5th cricket World Cup in March and Akram becomes the player of the final for his 18-ball 32 and 3 wickets for 42 against England at Melbourne uncle, lights. Five months later shares the Man of the Series award with fellow fast bowler Waqar Younis after Pakistan beat England 2-1 in the 5-match contest. During the series, he captures Robin Smith's wicket to claim his 150th Test victim in the second match at Lord's.
1993: In January, Akram is appointed captain of Pakistan and loses first Test series as captain in the Caribbean. Is caught with three other team-mates in a Grenada drug bust-up. Prior to the Caribbean trip, Brian McMillian of South Africa at East London becomes his 200th ODI scalp.
1994: Nine team members revolt against his leadership style and is dumped as the Pakistan skipper for the series against New Zealand. Wins 2 man of the match awards straight away and also claims his 200th Test wicket on tour that of Kiwi wicket keeper Tony Blain. Later that year Sanath Jayasuriya is his 250th ODI wicket.
1995: Early in the year, he becomes Pakistan's second Test bowler to take 250 wickets when he dismisses Grant Flower of Zimbabwe. Pakistan faces captaincy crisis and Akram is reinstated as skipper for the second time in his career. Loses his first comeback series against Australia on their home ground but is retained for the coming World Cup.
1996: Pakistan fail to defend their title when archrivals India thrash them in Bangalore. Akram is the villain for pulling out of the match due to a suspect rib injury. Five months later, he leads Pakistan to Test series victory in England and also takes his 300th Test wicket (Allen Mullaly) at The Oval. In the home series against Zimbabwe, scores his highest Test score of 257 not out at Sheikhupura. During that innings, he hits 12 sixes to create new world record. Against the same team, he takes his 300th ODI wicket (David Houghton), the only one to do so. Then leads Pakistan to victory in the Sharjah triangular - beating Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
1997: Creates history as captain when first of all Pakistan dump favorites Australia out of the Carlton and United World Series Cup and then beat the West Indies in two straight finals to lift the trophy, Pakistan's first in six attempts. Loses the Sharjah Cup in April after being under press attack for match-fixing allegations in late March. Gets injured and plays no cricket for Lancashire in the English county season. In late October comes back as Pakistan captain far the third time and creates another history as West Indies are thrashed 3-0 in the Test series in Pakistan. In December Pakistan lose matches in the Sharjah Champions Trophy in strange fashion from winning positions and once again under public outcry, Akram resigns from the captaincy.
In January, Pakistan drop their star player on fitness grounds for the 3-month African tour but joins the team there in March as he finds new supporters in the PCB. In April, he becomes the first bowler in international cricket to take 350 wickets (Jacques Kallis) in a match against South Africa at East London. Publishes his autobiography in which he stuns the establishment and his teammates with a number of revelations on his life and cricket.
No doubht Wasim Akram was the best cricketer people have witnessed:k:..
…
There won't be another Wasim Akram.Aaaaahhhhhhh !!
No amount of tribute is enough to pay homage to this legend. The most complete fast bowler ever.
We salute you Wasim, take a bow. :)
Agreed Imran Khan,You should please kick Tauqir's butts soon and get Wasim back.He can play for at least 2 more years.Its not greed , when he can play he should play.
Noooo not fair! He can still deliver the goods. Nope I'm not accepting his retirement
:(
maybe he thought that he has no chance of coming back to the team ..maybe Imran Khan is right ..that Zia is not letting him come back or are creating prob for him to come back and i honestly think wasim akram can still play..he has no major injury yet and he looks fit..
He was a great cricketer:k:…
i think Nobody can ever replace him…
Grateful Wasim tells fans no rethink on retirement](Yahoo is part of the Yahoo family of brands.)
KARACHI (AFP) - Former Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram said he had been overwhelmed by expressions of support since his decision to retire from international cricket, but stressed that the decision was final.
“I am thankful to all my colleagues, coaches and fans around the world for their support throughout my career and want to tell them that my decision to quit is final,” Wasim, who announced his retirement on Sunday, told AFP Wednesday in a phone interview from England.
"Since my announcement I have received tremendous feedback and fans and friends called me, sent e-mails and requested me to play a last time for Pakistan in England next month or play against India.
“But I think my days are over and, maybe, I will do commentary on a Pakistan-India match when the ties are restored.”
The celebrated left arm pacer took 502 wickets in 356 one-day matches – both world records – in a career spanning 19 years. He also took 414 wickets in 104 Tests.
But his glittering record was not enough to save him from being axed in a mass clean-up following Pakistan’s embarrassing first round exit in the World Cup two months ago.
Wasim, 37 next month, also pledged to clear his name of match-fixing allegations.
“Some people tried to unnecessarily drag me into a match fixing controversy, but I have forgiven all of them and will clear my name,” he said.
Wasim was fined 600,000 rupees (around 10,344 US dollars) and barred from captaining Pakistan after a match fixing inquiry in May 2000 found that his behaviour was “not above board,” although no evidence was produced against him.
Wasim’s appeal against the finding is due to be heard on his return from England some time after September.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) last month appointed a retired High Court judge to hear the appeal.
“I never did anything wrong for which I had to feel shame, but people tend to forget my achievements for the country,” said Wasim, who was named “player of the tournament” in the 1992 World Cup in Australia, which was won by Pakistan.
Topping Wasim’s “golden memories” are Pakistan’s World Cup victory that year, and its defeat of main rival India in 1987 and 1999.
Wasim, who captained Pakistan on its last tour of India in 1999, urged both sides, victims of the 17-month stand-off between the rival neighbours, to shun the politics and restore full sporting ties.
“For the sake of billions of fans in both countries we should revive cricketing ties,” he said.
Wasim is set to play for English county club Hampshire until September.
Top man, hats of to him.
:k:
A great player.
Perhaps the best fast bowler ever
Did a great deeal to win the World Cup in '92. Along with Imran one of the greatest all rounders ever
Oh God , please Wasim bhai give it a second thought and plzzzzzzzz announce be4 u're retiring so we can be there doesn't matter its Lords or Durban or Calcutta. Pleaasee .. I miss Wasim bhai so much when I see Paki's match , actually I can't see it cuz U're not playing .. plz come back :<
Maybe he is like Imran, he might just comeback in couple years.
I, in general, hate this guy’s writing and views but I had to post a piece of his latest article.
URL: http://cricketnext.com/features1/sanjayjha/sanjayjha097.htm
**Oh, that magical left hand **
(by Sanjay Jha)
“I had already crossed 60, and was watching the ball well. The first two balls from him pitched on middle and leg and I was happy to let them go down the leg side. The third ball pitched exactly on the same spot, and almost took my off-stump. I just stood there looking at him and realized I was not good enough to even reach to the ball, forget about touching it.” This was Indian opener Sadgoppan Ramesh, paying his tributes to Wasim Akram, who was one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time, who announced, sadly, that he would feature in no more international games.
Forget the 916 international batsmen he sent back to the pavilion, reminisce those lethal late order assaults on the opposition bowling while wielding a willow, Wasim rose above the boundaries that mere mortals build, and then find impossible to break. Wasim, running in briskly, and with a quick-arm action unleashing his magic was a sight that gave pleasure to cricket aficionados across the world… white, brown or black, Hindus, Muslims or Christians… they all flocked to appreciate this artist. Wasim Akram was clearly a sight for the Gods!
**Honestly, it would be unfair to call Wasim a cricketer alone, he was an artist, and artists know no perimeters, they are creative, they experiment. Their skills are limitless, their passion is their religion and the joy they derive from their art is their offering to their fans. Wasim was one such artist - a rare genius, an indefatigable fighter.
There was something uncanny about Wasim that was so appealing. Somehow, one could never make out what the real Wasim was all about - was he a devious, scheming, egocentric genius or a wronged individual? Can such a devout, proud performer really betray his nation for a few bucks more? I for one would never believe it. There was something mischievous in that grin of his when he beat the bat. He would give a winsome smile at a batsman like a thoroughbred playboy would after spotting a potential target at a party. Pray for the prey. **
Now Wasim will no longer grace cricket grounds across the world. An era has ended, gone are those moments of high drama and delight, for life can never be normal with Wasim bowling. He could extract bounce from wickets on which other fast bowlers would dread to tread, he could swing the ball in conditions ideal for batters, and he could smash a six when everyone least expected one. And all this while fighting diabetes and teammates alike. And the authorities. That was Wasim, the master. Goodbye, magical left hand. We salute you.
Ganguly on Wasim Akram
Quotes from Ganguly:
"Akram is the greatest fast bowler I have ever played. He is rightly called the sultan of swing bowling," he said.
"He has a great cricketing brain. Cricket experts from all over the world have praised him for this."
Nice to see sportsmanship between rivals. Akram was a class-act and even his competitors return that class. Some of the newer players like McGrath and Akhtar are trash-talking turds and people will remember them as such when they retire, regardless of their play.
Re: Ganguly on Wasim Akram
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*Originally posted by Kareem: *
Some of the newer players like McGrath and Akhtar are trash-talking turds and people will remember them as such when they retire, regardless of their play.
[/QUOTE]
I agree with you. I'm willing to forgive Akhtar 'cause he's not the sharpest guy on the planet. But McGrath mouths off according to a well set plan and strategy.
I was laughing when I read that **** about him wanting to tip Sarwan's throat for mentioning his wife. Aussies, in general, and McGrath in particular have no regard for their opponents' parents much less their wives. If I remember correctly, Thorpe pulled out of the last Ashes because he didn't want to face the crap that the Aussies had planned for him with respect to his situation with his wife.
sorry for hijacking the thread but this McGrath kid gets me so riled up. worst thing is that him and his gang of thugs always get away with their ****ty behaviour. i'll shut up now.
Aahhh !! No charm of cricket without Wasim Akram !!