Islamabad: South African cricketer Jacques Kallis has revealed that former Pakistani quick Wasim Akram was the best pace bowler he had ever faced during his long and successful career.

The veteran cricketer said in an interview that Akram was the best opening fast bowler he had ever faced as his ability to swing the ball in both ways with pace made him a dangerous force to reckon with on the field.

Choosing Akram from a choice of fast bowling legends like Courtney Walsh, Curtley Ambrose, Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee and Waqar Younis , Kallis said that Akram`s pace attack combined with Younis` reverse swinging made them a formidable force against any team, adding that the deadly Akram-Younis duo was the best combination that Pakistan had ever had.

Kallis further said that Australian legend Shane Warne was the best spinner that he played against because of his accuracy and the perfectness of his leg-spinning.

The Proteas great also said that the best batsman he had bowled against was West Indies legend Brian Lara, rating him above Indian maestro Sachin Tendulkar because of Lara`s ability to manipulate the field.

Kallis` 13,128 runs at Test level in 162 matches which also includes 44 hundreds and his 288 wickets coupled with his impressive ODI record of 11,498 runs and 270 wickets makes him unarguably a unique individual in world of cricket, the report added.

Courtesy: ZEE NEWS

Famed Pakistan pace duo Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis Monday paid rich tribute to Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, labelling him “the greatest batsman of this era”.

Tendulkar, 39, announced his retirement from one-day internationals on Sunday after scoring 18,426 runs in 463 matches with 49 centuries — all three world records for most runs, matches and hundreds.

“I don’t say that a batsman like him will not come but he was the greatest batsman of this era and to maintain the zeal and fitness for 23 years was a big achievement for him,” said Waqar, who retired in 2004.

“I also feel proud that I played against him and found him a great player and a nice gentleman.”

Wasim said Tendulkar’s records spoke volumes about his achievements.

“It will be tough to match them in the years to come,” Wasim told AFP. “He was a special talent and a very special cricketer.”

Tendulkar made his Test debut against India’s arch-rivals Pakistan in Karachi in 1989 and Wasim recalled mocking the young batsman with his bowling partner.

“Sachin was really 16 at the time when he came to Pakistan in 1989 and Waqar and I thought, ‘What will this 16-year-old do against us?’” he said.

“I hit him on the mouth but he showed a lot of gumption and courage to score a fifty in the fourth Test in Sialkot and after that innings we realised that he is a special talent.”

As the leading batsman for cricket-mad India, Tendulkar carried the weight of a nation’s expectations on his shoulders, but Wasim said he handled the burden well.

“Sachin always played under a lot of pressure from the billions of Indian fans and the kind of consistency he showed proved that he handled those pressures and huge expectations admirably well,” said Wasim.

Courtesy: CRICKET COUNTRY

Continued from the previous part…

Wasim, on the other hand, had the ability to swing the ball both ways and had incredible variations up his sleeves. Because of a quick-arm action, Akram could trouble even the best of the batsmen. The left-arm fast bowler soon developed an ability to bowl Yorkers at will and that’s why he was able to record two limited-overs hat-tricks very early in his career. In 1999, the greatest left-arm fast bowler of the game picked up two Test hat-tricks as well. He is the only bowler in the history of the game to have achieved this landmark.

Wasim was appointed the captain of the national team in 1993 but the all-rounder could not develop understanding with the players and some of the senior players revolted against him a year later. However, Akram regained the captaincy later in his career and turned out to be one of the most successful captains in Pakistan’s cricketing history. Pakistan came close to winning the ICC Cricket World Cup 1999 in England under the captaincy of Akram but succumbed under pressure in the final against Australia.

Pakistan’s World Cup winning campaign of 1992 remains the peak of Wasim’s illustrious career. The all-rounder played a crucial role for his team throughout the tournament and was named as the Man of the Match in the final against England.

With 502 wickets in One Day International cricket at an average of only 23.52 and 414 Test scalps at 23.62, Akram will always be remembered amongst the legends of the game. The left-arm fast bowler is very rightly included in International Cricket Council’s Hall of Fame.

Apart from his matchless bowling skills, Wasim was extremely destructive with the bat as well. The left-hander had the ability to change the course of the game within a short span of time. The lower-order batsman scored three Test hundreds, including an unbeaten 257 against Zimbabwe at Sheikhupura in 1996.

At the present moment, Wasim is working for Kolkata Knight Riders as a bowling coach and has been doing a tremendous job. Brett Lee, the Australian fast bowler, who plays for the Knight Riders, expressed in a recent interview that Akram had taught him a lot of skills and has no doubts in his mind that the former Pakistani captain is the greatest fast bowler of modern-day cricket.
“Wasim Akram was the best bowler of the world. He has not only taught me how to bowl different deliveries and how to be patient but just general cricket skills. He taught me the in-swinger with the new ball,” said Lee.

The whole cricketing fraternity believes that Akram is one of the most talented cricketers of all times but the left-arm fast bowler had many controversies in his career, including match-fixing allegations and his differences with the teammates. Wasim’s career could have done without those controversies as neither did it give a good name to him nor to his country.

Akram will always be remembered in the history books as one of the finest exponents of fast bowling and will continue to inspire budding left-arm fast bowlers. The world of cricket in general and Pakistan cricket in particular must make best use of Akram’s experience and skills. Former cricketer has the ability to groom emerging players but probably the game of cricket will not see such a left-arm fast bowler again.

Courtesy: BETTOR.COM

Fast bowling is one of the most attractive facets of cricket and when it comes to genuine speedsters, the contribution of Pakistan can never be ignored. Historically, Pakistan has produced a number of out and out fast bowlers, who have threatened even the best of batsmen in the business.

Fazal Mahmood, Khan Mohammad, Sarfraz Nawaz, Imran Khan, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar are all legends of the game without a shadow of doubt. However, the one man who stands head and shoulders above all of them is the former captain of Pakistan, Wasim Akram.

Cricket analysts from across the globe have a consensus that Akram is the best left-arm fast bowler ever witnessed in the history of the game and there are no two opinions about it.

Wasim started playing club cricket from Ludhiana Gymkhana Lahore in his teenage and he was lucky enough to have been spotted by the selectors during a net-session. He is one of those very few cricketers who made their way to international cricket without playing any first-class cricket.

He picked up a ten-wicket haul in only his second Test match and since then, he never looked back. The fast bowler remained an integral part of the national team for almost two decades.

Akram had a small bustling run-up and it was quite amazing that he could produce immense speed from hardly 12 to 14 paces. The left-arm fast bowler was extremely lucky to have the guidance of Imran Khan during the early days. Wasim has admitted that he would never have been the same bowler without the presence of Khan close to him.

It was Imran who advised young Akram to curtail his run-up in the late 1980s. During an interview, Akram revealed how Imran convinced him to shorten his run-up, if the left-arm fast bowler wanted to prolong his career.

There is no doubt about the fact that Imran groomed a number of young cricketers when he was leading the Green Shirts but one can safely say that Akram was his greatest find. In fact, it will not be wrong to say that Akram surpassed his mentor as a fast bowler. Some of the cricket analysts claim that Akram may not have got the same charisma, as that of Imran, but he is the best cricketer produced by the country.

Along with Waqar Younis, Akram formed one of the most destructive bowling partnerships of all times. The two won numerous matches for Pakistan during 1990s and were unplayable at times with the old ball. The two ‘Ws’ took the legacy of fast bowling of Pakistan to new heights.

The two complimented each other in an amazing fashion. Waqar had extra-pace and a slinging action, which helped him to reverse-swing the old ball. The right-arm fast bowler had a long run-up and he was mentally very tough. Waqar was never ready to accept defeat and snatched victory from opposition’s jaws a number of times.

To be continued …

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely of the author and do not represent Bettor.com’s official editorial policy.

Courtesy: BETTOR.COM

DUBAI (Agencies) – Former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram has claimed that his country has the most talented cricketers compared to the rest of the world, but they lack guidance which he had coming into international cricket. Recalling his early days in cricket, Wasim said, “When I made my debut, I was only 17 years old, and just in college.

I had never been out of Pakistan, but I had seniors like Miandad who taught me how to be street smart, I had Imran who taught me how to be consistent and affirmative and Mudassar (Nazar) who taught me chalaki (being shrewd).”
However, the legendary crickter added that things have changed now and young payers do not get the same guidance which he got. The 45-year-old further went onto say that he was ready to assist youngsters in the national side. He added,

“Pakistan cricket can still use my services and expertise. But they have to ask me! No one has asked me till now either this board, or the previous one. The thing is that I don’t have to be a coach of the Pakistan team to help Pakistan cricket.” Wasim said that he spends time in Pakistan every now and then and can easily train some young fast bowlers by telling them how to train and handle pressure while bowling against quality oppositions.

There seems to be enormous talent of fast bowling in Pakistan, as the country has introduced some world class players in this department. One of the all time best was Wasim, who had a tremendous career and is considered to be the finest fast bowler in the history of cricket. He also had a world class partner in Waqar Younis, who has twice been with the national team as a coach.

After the retirement of the Two Ws from international cricket, it seemed that the country will struggle to find quality fast bowlers. However, Waqar worked as a bowling coach with the side and polished some youngsters like Umar Gul and M Asif into fine fast bowlers.

He then took over as head coach of the team and guided young pacers like M Amir, Junaid Khan and Wahab Riaz. Pakistan cricket will be hoping to get such assistance from the legendary players in order to polish raw talent into world class cricketers.

Wasim also revealed that it was his late wife Huma Wasim, who suggested him to become a commentator after retiring from international cricket in 2003.

According to the legendary cricketer, “There was no concrete plan that I had made and was going to follow. Sportsmen seldom have set plans on what they should do day-by-day after they retire, but then my late wife Huma said that the best thing I could pursue was cricket commentary — she thought that this was all that I knew.”

Wasim said that he did not like the idea initially and argued with his wife saying that he will have to do a lot of travelling. However, he was happy to have listened to his better half back then. The 45-year-old recalled the words of Huma, as she said, “Wasim, believe me, you will thank me after doing this for six to eight months. You will say ‘Huma, thank God you suggested this.’ You will have the same lifestyle and plus you will be talking about a sport that you have loved and played all your life.”

These were the words which forced Wasim to pursue a career in commentary. He claimed that he was lucky enough to be hired straight away by a famous sports channel and is now enjoying the job more than anything.
Perhaps the best bowler of all time further went onto say that he had some difficult times at the start of his commentating career, as learning English was not an easy task.

However, he learned many things with the passage of time and is well aware now of what to say and what not to. Pakistan cricket has produced plenty of fast bowlers and continue to do so. However, there is no one as accurate and deadly as Wasim. He also had a terrific bowling partner in Waqar Younis and together they were known as the ‘Two Ws.’
There has been no pair as deadly as the former Pakistani pacers, as they were a nightmare for the batsmen. They ruled the rest of the word during the nineties and guided their national side to many historic victories. However, both fast bowlers are enjoying a very good post retirement life, commentating on different sports channels.

Courtesy: The Nation

MUMBAI: Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram on Saturday ridiculed Shoaib Akhtar and his controversial autobiography, which has made several tall claims, saying that the pacer was a “problem” when he was an active player and remains just that even in retirement.

Akram pooh-poohed Shoaib’s claims of making Sachin Tendulkar uncomfortable with his pace in the Faisalabad Test in 2006 and also rejected some of the other allegations he has made in the book titled ‘Controversially Yours‘.

“I remember one of Sachin’s knocks in the Sialkot Test. It was the fourth Test and the wicket had lot of grass, I was 22 and Waqar was 19 and we were very fast,” Akram recalled.

“Waqar hit him on his chin and he came back after taking treatment and scored a 50. If a 16-year-old can’t be scared, I don’t think any batsman can be scared. It hardly matters what Shoaib says,” Akram said.

Akram said Shoaib, who was a controversial figure all through his playing career, was just trying to sell his book with tall claims and also rejected allegations that he tried to destroy the tearaway pacer’s career.

“Whatever the Pakistan Cricket Board says, I am with them. He was a problem when he was in the team and he is a problem when he is out of the team,” Akram said. “He knows, I know and the world knows that he was himself responsible for destroying his career. There is a lot to talk but I don’t want to humiliate him. There is an unwritten code among players that some facts should not be revealed before the media,” he warned.

“You guys (media) will ensure that his book is a bestseller,” he said.

Talking about Indian cricket, Akram said Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men should brace up for tough times ahead when they tour Australia later this year as fast and bouncy wickets await them Down Under. “The Australia tour will be challenging for India and they should expect bouncy wickets,” he said. Akram also advocated the resumption of bilateral cricket ties between India and Pakistan.
“I am in favour of sporting ties between India and Pakistan. If players of these countries do well against each other, they can do well against anyone,” he said.

Courtesy: Times of India

Islamabad: Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has said that had he been the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief, he would have tried to have one leader for the national cricket team for at least an year, and would also consult the players before selecting the head coach.

When asked during an interview about the first couple of things he would implement straight away, if he were given the role of the PCB Chairman, Akram said: “First of all I would just try to have one leader [of the cricket team] and at least announce him for a year, and then get a coach and obviously get a guy who the boys will get along with.”

“Either it`s a foreign coach, or it`s a Pakistani coach, whoever, you should ask the boys first because they are going to be working with him. Bring stability into the system and I think everything will eventually work,” he told PakPassion.net.

After implementing the above-mentioned steps, Akram said, he would concentrate on stuff like looking for the right talent and getting it to the National Cricket Academy (NCA).

“The PCB have such wonderful facilities in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, everywhere, have people getting their youngsters, especially in summer where nobody does anything for a couple of months, to come. Also, try to get the Pakistan “A “and emerging sides on tours to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, wherever it can be arranged – the more tours, the more the players will improve and learn,” he added.

Akram also said that while he was not against the hiring of a foreigner to succeed outgoing coach Waqar Younis, he would suggest finding someone from Pakistan.

Courtesy: ZEE NEWS

Wasim Akram was perceived as a nightmare to a majority of batsmen around the world. His speed and hostility were genuine when ge came down the pitch to throw a swinging yorker. Akram was a gifted bowler. He had natural control over the pace of his deliveries plus his line and length were perfect. When combining his line and length with his seam and swing, the batsmen were in for his vicious swinging yorkers.

Wasim Akram could very easily bowl from each end of the wicket due to his superb quick action. And the fact that he was the king of reverse swing bowling, meant that he got to be more dangerous at the later part of any match’s innings. He was indeed a dangerous bowler, vicious enough to scare even experienced batsmen like Steve Waugh.

The sultan of swing was very successful at finding the edge of the bat and he used to focus every delivery on the stumps producing his famous and lethal inswinging yorker. Out of the 414 test wickets he managed to take, 193 of them were taken caught, 119 of them were leg before and 102 were clean bowled.

In the 1990’s Wasim Akram along with Waqar Younis, another legend together demolished the batting order of every team. Both of them were known as the “the two Ws” of the Pakistan side and were the most successful and powerful bowling partnerships in cricket history. It was due to the performance of a young 25 year old Wasim Akram that Pakistan got their victory in the final of the world cup of 1992.

The left arm fast pace bowler took a total of 18 wickets from 10 matches and won the man of the match award which he truly deserved. Wasim Akram after delivering his vicious swinging yorkers and quick deliveries took the important wicket of Ian Botham at the opening of the final.

As Wasim’s vicious swinging yorkers proved fatal to the batsmen around the world he was also actually a pretty decent batsmen. He was very effective against spin bowlers. However he preferred to slog which led to the early forfeit of his wicket.

For more information: info@wasimakramlive.com

Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik has been included in the squad for the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe. Malik, who was cleared by the PCB’s integrity committee last week, was originally named in the list of standbys for the tour with his inclusion subject to clearance from the board.

“His name was already in the reserve list of players for the tour and the PCB integrity committee cleared him last week,” Mohsin Khan, the chairman of the selection committee, said. “After discussions with the team management everyone agreed that with his experience the team would be further strengthened.”

Malik, who last played for Pakistan during their controversial tour of England last summer, was involved in a battle with the PCB, whose integrity committee had previously not cleared him for selection since that England tour. The key point of contention was the nature of certain deposits in Malik’s overseas bank account, but the PCB, when announcing his clearance on Friday, said that he was able to provide evidence that the deposits did not originate from any questionable source or activity.

Though he was not cleared to play for Pakistan, Malik has been playing domestic cricket. He was the second-highest run-getter in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Division One last season, with 799 runs at an average of 73.57. He also featured for Sialkot Stallions in the recently-completed Faysal Bank Super Eight T20 Cup.

Malik, 29, has played 32 Tests and 192 ODIs for Pakistan averaging a shade over 33 with the bat in both formats. He has picked up 21 wickets in Tests and 134 in ODIs, and has also played 32 Twenty20 internationals. He has captained Pakistan in three Tests, 36 ODIs and 17 Twenty20s.

Malik said he is looking forward to what could be his best years as a batsman. “I feel that I can play cricket for another six to eight years. I have been training hard and practicing with intensity,” he told PakPassion.net. “From 29 onwards, the next six or seven years are the best years for a batsman, where you can apply your experience and what you have learnt. I’m at that stage now. What’s happened is history now, it’s time to move on, look forward.”

However, he is not considering another stint as captain. “I’m not thinking about captaincy at all,” Malik said. “I just want to see my name in the starting XI. I am just thinking about playing good cricket and giving 100% in all facets of the game. This time around, I want to ensure that I am more consistent for Pakistan.

“Shoaib’s inclusion will bolster the strength of the team,” coach Waqar Younis said. “He has lots of cricket left in him and its good that he is again available to play for Pakistan.”

Pakistan play one Test, three ODIs and two Twenty20 games against Zimbabwe, kicking off their tour with a two-day warm up game against a Zimbabwe XI from August 28 in Bulawayo.

Courtesy: CRICINFO.COM
Source: ESPNcricinfo staff

KARACHI: Former captain and all-rounder Wasim Akram on Thursday said he was perfectly aware of his country’s international and domestic cricket scene and it was chief selector Mohsin Khan who required to do his homework on the various issues confronting Pakistan cricket.

“I am a cricket fanatic and even when I am away I keep a constant eye on Pakistan’s international and domestic cricket,” said Wasim while speaking to Dawn on Thursday.

“It needs just a few clicks on the internet to keep yourself abreast with the cricket around the world. I am, in fact, surprised by Mohsin’s outburst because the media has criticised him often for not attending domestic matches, even in his own city, Karachi.”

Referring to his earlier statement regarding Wahab Riaz and Umar Gul’s inclusion for Zimbabwe tour, Wasim said: “My suggestion of not to rest Wahab was based on wisdom. He is a fine fast bowler who is improving in leaps and bounds but is wasting his energy in the Twenty20 cricket in England. And now, when the real Test starts in Zimbabwe, he is rested. That does not make much sense.”

Backing up his arguments with facts and figures, Wasim said: “It is Mohsin who is wide off the mark when he says that Wahab, Umar Gul and Abdur Rehman have played too much cricket. To keep his facts right, Wahab has played just four Tests, 13 ODIs and only one Twenty20 this year, while Gul has played three Tests and 15 ODIs. This is normal cricket and they don’t really need rest after this.

“Playing without your key fast bowlers would risk any upset in Zimbabwe who have recently beaten Bangladesh in a Test match. And, mind you, they are a better one-day side.”

Wasim also criticised Mohsin for his inconsistent selection which he said was evident by the frequent changes made for the last few tours.

“How can Mohsin talk of consistency? Is playing four separate wicket-keepers in the last one year consistency. If Kamran Akmal is not played due to any reason other than cricket, there is no second opinion that Sarfraz Ahmed is the best glovesman in the country,” argued Wasim.

“Why was Adnan Akmal selected ahead of Sarfraz for the UAE series last year and why couldn’t Sarfraz be recalled from the West Indies where he was playing for Pakistan ‘A’?

“Then, when Adnan gave a superb performance in Tests in New Zealand, why was he dropped for the West Indies tour and Mohammad Salman was given a chance. Now the selectors have again recalled Adnan. Is this consistency?”

Wasim pointed out that while batsman Usman Salahuddin and fast bowler Sadaf Hussain were selected for the West Indies tour, primarily because they were the best performers in domestic cricket, they were not in the team anymore.

“Usman got just two one-day matches and being a Quaid-e-Azam Trophy performer, he was sent back home before the Test series. Poor Sadaf Hussain, with 69 wickets in the season, was a mere passenger on the West Indies trip,” said Wasim.

“Hamad Azam was praised as a replacement for Abdul Razzaq and after a good showing in the West Indies, he is among the reserves for the Zimbabwe tour! Similarly, anyone among left-arm spinner Raza Hassan or Zulfiqar Babar could have replaced Abdur Rehman, but right-arm leg-spinner Yasir Shah is selected out of the blue. This is no consistency.”

Reacting on Mohsin’s jibe regarding him not serving Pakistan cricket, Wasim said: “I am proud that I am used by India and they do so with a lot of respect. I have been praised as an ambassador between Pakistan and India and I will continue to do so.

I have always spoken for the revival of Indo-Pak series and my views are taken seriously.

“Moreover, when Waqar Younis and Aaqib Javed — both great fast bowlers — are involved in team’s coaching its unwise that I poke my nose in their work. But whenever they call me for help I’m available.

“I have always respected Mohsin as a player and a senior colleague, but I am entitled to my opinion, which will always be honest.”

Courtesy: DAWN.COM
Source: Wasim Akram Speaks to Dawn Newspaper