Biography: Wasim Akram is a former cricketer from Pakistan who is widely considered to be one of the best left-arm fast bowlers in cricket history. He was born in Lahore, Pakistan, on June 3, 1966.
At the age of 18, Akram made his Pakistani cricket team debut in 1984. With his ability to swing the ball both ways and mastery of reverse swing, a technique that allows the ball to swing in the opposite direction of how it would normally move, he quickly became one of the best fast bowlers in the world.
Akram took 414 wickets at an average of 23.62 in 104 Test matches during his international career. He also took 502 wickets at an average of 23.52 in 356 One-Day Internationals. He is the only bowler in Test and ODI cricket to have taken more than 400 wickets.
Akram took three wickets in the final against England in the 1992 Cricket World Cup, which helped Pakistan win. Additionally, he was a member of the Pakistani team that reached the Cricket World Cup final in 1999.
Akram was an excellent fielder and lower-order batsman in addition to his bowling abilities. He scored 2,898 runs at an average of 22.64 in Test cricket and 3,717 runs at an average of 16.52 in ODI cricket. He also took 127 catches in one-day internationals and 97 in Test cricket.
Since his 2003 retirement from international cricket, Akram has been a commentator and cricket analyst. In 2009, he was honored for his contributions to the game of cricket by being inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
One of the notable initiatives undertaken by Wasim Akram is the establishment of the Wasim Akram Foundation. The foundation aims to provide healthcare facilities to the underprivileged sections of society, particularly in the rural areas of Pakistan. The foundation has set up free medical camps and has also built a state-of-the-art hospital in Lahore, which provides free treatment to those who cannot afford it.
In addition to his foundation, Wasim Akram has also been associated with various other charitable organizations. He has worked with the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Center, which provides free cancer treatment to patients. He has also been associated with the Imran Khan Foundation, which focuses on education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation.
Wasim Akram has also been actively involved in promoting cricket for the disabled. He has been associated with the Special Olympics Pakistan and has been a mentor to the team, which has won several international championships.
Furthermore, he has also contributed towards the development of cricket infrastructure in Pakistan. He has helped in the renovation of various cricket grounds and has been instrumental in providing equipment to budding cricketers.
- Date of Birth: June 3, 1966
- age: 56 years
- Birthplace: Lahore
- Wife: Shaniera Akram (m. 2013), Huma (m. 1995–2009)
- Children: Aiyla Akram, Taimur, Akbar
- Father: Chaudhry Mohammad Akram
- Mother: Begum Akram Chaudhry
- Height: 1.88 m
- Batting style: Left-handed
- Jersey Number: 3 (Pakistan national cricket team)
Lifestyle
On and off the field, Akram was known for his flamboyant and stylish personality. He was well-known for his love of high-end automobiles and was frequently observed in trendy attire and accessories.
Akram has experienced a number of tragedies in his personal life. In 2009, he lost his first wife, Huma, to multiple organ failure. After that, in 2013, Akram tied the knot with Shaniera Thompson, an Australian citizen. The couple has two children together.
Additionally, Akram has been involved in a number of charitable endeavors, one of which is the Wasim Akram Foundation, which focuses on supporting Pakistani underprivileged children. Additionally, he has collaborated with a number of charitable organizations to aid Pakistani victims of natural disasters.
Statistics
- Test Matches: 104
- Wickets in Test Matches: 414
- Test Match Bowling Average: 23.62
- Test Match Batting Average: 22.64
- Test Match 5-Wicket Hauls: 25
- Test Match 10-Wicket Hauls: 5
- One Day Internationals (ODIs): 356
- Wickets in ODIs: 502
- ODI Bowling Average: 23.52
- ODI Batting Average: 16.52
- ODI 5-Wicket Hauls: 6
- Best ODI Bowling Figures: 5/15
- Career Span: 1984-2003
- Matches Played in All Formats: 460
- Total Wickets Taken in All Formats: 916
Records
- In both ODI and Test cricket, Akram is the only bowler to have taken more than 400 wickets.
- With 414 wickets, Akram holds the record for most by any bowler in Pakistan’s Test history.
- With 502 wickets, Akram is the second-highest wicket-taker in ODI cricket. He was the most successful wicket-taker in one-day international cricket when he retired.
- With 55 wickets, Akram holds the record for most wickets in Cricket World Cup history. With 23 wickets during the 1992 World Cup, he also holds the World Cup record for the most wickets taken in a single tournament.
- In international cricket, Akram has scored four hat tricks, more than any other bowler in history.
- Akram is the only player in the history of Test cricket to have taken more than 400 wickets and scored more than 3,000 runs.
- With 72 wickets in ODI cricket in 1993, Akram holds the record for the most wickets taken in a calendar year.
Awards
- One of the sport’s highest honors, the Wisden Cricketer of the Year award, was given to Akram in 1993.
- One of Pakistan’s highest civilian honors, the Pride of Performance, was presented to Akram in 2002 by the country’s government.
- In honor of his outstanding accomplishments in cricket, Akram was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009.
- For his contributions to philanthropy and cricket, Akram received the Sitara-i-Imtiaz in 2010, Pakistan’s equivalent of another high civilian honor.
- Along with Shane Warne, Sir Donald Bradman, and Sir Garfield Sobers, Akram was named one of the four Wisden Cricketers of the Century in 2011.
- Akram was hired as the bowling coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders, an Indian Premier League team, in 2013.
Family
Wasim Akram was born on June 3, 1966, to a Punjabi family in Lahore, Pakistan. Businessman Chaudhry Muhammed Akram was his father. In 1995, Akram wed Huma, his first wife, and they had two sons together: Taimur and Akbar. Tragically, Huma passed away in 2009 from the failure of multiple organs.
In a private ceremony in Lahore in 2013, Akram wed Australian citizen Shaniera Thompson. A daughter by the name of Aiyla and a son by the name of Tahmoor is the couple’s two children. Throughout his cricketing career, Akram’s family has provided him with a lot of support, and he has often talked about how important they are to him.
Through the Wasim Akram Foundation, which focuses on supporting Pakistani underprivileged children, Akram has also been involved in philanthropic endeavors outside of his immediate family. He has also been involved in a number of charitable organizations that help people in Pakistan who have been affected by natural disasters. People all over the world admire and respect Akram for his dedication to helping others.