The king of swing

Wasim Akram could make a cricket ball talk © Getty Images Enlarge

Video - The Wasim Akram story (Windows Media Player - 3m 30s)
Think of your favourite Wasim Akram moment. The two balls to Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis, the hat-tricks in Sharjah, the penultimate-ball six at the Nehru Cup final, the two Test hat-tricks in consecutive Tests, the 1992 Lord's Test win, four wickets in five balls against the West Indies or the ball to Rahul Dravid at Chennai? That's just for starters. Akram was the ultimate big-game player, the man for the occasion, the man who put swing into reverse, the man chosen to succeed Imran Khan, which in itself takes some succeeding. There hasn't been a better left-arm fast bowler and only a handful of any description have surpassed him. His batting never fulfilled the talent it was assigned but he rarely failed when it was most needed. As captain, he became progressively better with each stint, beginning as petulant and moody but ending, by 1999, a canny, authoritative and inspirational fatherly figure. Imran Khan thought him the most naturally gifted player he'd ever seen. Not for the first time, Imran wasn't wrong.

Achievements
Nearly a thousand international wickets, only man with over 500 ODI wickets, close to seven thousand international runs, four international hat-tricks, one more at first-class level: you want more? Okay, here you go: World Cup winner and player of the final, most ODI four-wicket hauls, seven for 50 on first-class debut against a touring New Zealand and ten wickets in only his second Test against the same. Is that it? No: second-most winning Pakistan player (41 Test wins, behind Inzamam's 48), 18 match awards and seven series awards, captained Pakistan to the World Cup final in 1999, led them to series wins in England and India, Pakistan's last Test win in Australia and their only tri-series triumph in Australia in 1996-97, with a young, injury-ravaged squad. Satisfied?

What makes him special
A left arm, gifted, it was reputed, from God. What couldn't he do with it? Swing both ways and all kinds, cut, changes of pace, length, angles. Mark Taylor once said he could bowl four balls in an over on the same spot and get them to do four different things. Often, he got one delivery to do four different things. Short, randomly-calculated run-up and a whizzing, economical action couldn't prevent injuries but on his day - and there were plenty - he was the finest fast bowler on the planet and no one had more variety.

The 1992 World Cup final was one of Wasim Akram's finest moments © Getty Images Enlarge

Finest hour
Melbourne, Wednesday, March 25, 1992. He began by pelting an adrenaline-fuelled 33 off 18 balls, to drag Pakistan to 249. As England began the chase, he dazed them by dismissing Ian Botham. Then, as they revived, he came back in the 35th over to deliver the knock-out in the middle order with two of the most famous - and unplayable - deliveries in World Cup history. Be warned though: given how many moments he did have, it is unlikely this is a unanimous choice.

Achilles' Heel
Never quite made it with the bat, despite numerous glimpses of his skills. His first Test century, after all, came in dire straits down under and a Test high of 257 is suggestive of talent. One of his finest innings came at Lord's in 1992, when an unbeaten 45 led Pakistan to a thrilling, low-scoring two-wicket win. Cover driving and mowing over midwicket was never a problem but an average of 22.64 from 104 Tests says something, somewhere wasn't entirely right.

How history views him
Tricky. On the field, as a cricketer, he was undoubtedly one of Pakistan's greatest and, for much of the nineties, one of the best in the world. Off it, though, he was dogged by controversy through the mid-90s. Hindsight affords captaincy tantrums, player politics and ball tampering the status of storms in teacups - and anyway, how can anyone really begrudge an art as beautiful as reverse swing? But the stain of match-fixing, proven or otherwise, is an altogether more difficult one to wipe away. Will forever be the "Yes, but..." to his career.

Life after cricket
Richie Benaud is unlikely to be threatened by his presence behind the microphone (more likely appalled by the "Shaz and Waz" skits he does with Ravi Shastri) but as a commentator, he at least provides a Pakistani alternative to Rameez Raja for broadcasters. Almost became a sports news anchor too at one point, though thankfully left that well alone. Has dabbled in a sports goods business and is also, famously, a roaming, floating provider of tips, mostly to Indian fast bowlers, whenever they are needed. Why Pakistani bowlers don't seek him out more often says more about them than it does about him.