Wasim Akram: from street cricket to world star

In a detailed interview with Dawn, Wasim Akram tells Shoaib Naveed about his early days bowling with a tape ball, some of his memorable performances and the batsmen he has bowled to. Brian Lara, he says, was the most difficult batsman to bowl to, while Adam Gilchrist was the most intimidating because he was not just a pinch-hitter but a proper batsman who could hit you anywhere, anytime.

I got Ponting out on several occasions, without getting hit around much. As for Tendulkar, I didn’t play a Test against him for ten years at the peak of my career, I have also dismissed Lara but I think he was the most difficult. He seemed very unusual to a bowler’s eye, with the bat coming down from up high at an awkward angle. He would also jump here and there, so it made him a very different and difficult batsman to bowl to.