Retirement of the best fast bowler in the world

This 2001 opinion piece discusses retirement before it occurred. Wasim Akram continued playing Test cricket through 2002 and international cricket through 2003.

Farewell to great fast bowler Wasim Akram from international test cricket. He has proved himself as as one of the greatest bowlers of the world he was born on 3rd june 1966. He has been a successful perhaps the best captain for his team in the history. Wasim Akram is compared to the great fast legend dennis lillie. Wasim just announced to retire from test cricket and will retire from odi soon. Well, he is playing cricket for his country since 1984, nearly 17 years. He is also playing county cricket in england for last many years. He is in the team of lancashire. In 17 years of his cricket he has gained a lot of respect and is known all over the world for his fast and dangerous bowling. His air swingers, yorkers and bouncers are a threat and confusion for all of the batsmen of the world. Even the best batsmen of the world cannot play against him. Wasim with waqar form the best bowling pair in the whole world (i don’t know about universe).

I like the way he bats but he did not get a good record with his bat but who cares he is the best in bowling. There was an innings which i can never forget his 257* in test cricket when he surprise everybody with his great shots.

Everyone knows that he is a nightmare when he is angry. He is on fire when bowling in anger. His scream really works when he is sure about the lbw and appealing to umpire to give him out and if the umpire is not impressed he gets out of his temper. I cannot forget that match between pakistan and sri lanka when his two appeals were not given out by the umpire (which should have been given out), he was restless and wanted to show the umpire that he would use a way in which there is no need to ask the him, and the same thing happened on the next ball he bowled a short pitch ball the ball went up high in the air and nobody could believe it he caught the ball by running 40 meters to the left of the umpire and that was the most thrilling catch i ever saw in my whole life and after this wicket it was a disaster for the sri lankans on write next ball another batsmen was caught by first slip. He was on fire an angry man Wasim was a nightmare for sri lankans. He was on a hatrick but the happy man murlitharan was just saved and his smile made the angry akram smile too.

Wasim Akram is on the top of ODI bowling figures and 4th in Test cricket. He is the only bowler to complete 400+ wickets in Test cricket and in ODI. He has 440 wickets in ODI and 414 wickets in Test Cricket. This is great isn’t it? His magic bowling gave him 4 hat Rick’s (2 in Test and 2 in ODI). He has the most hatrick in the world. When he did a hatrick against Indians in the end the captain of the team said “ we lost the game in the beginning when Wasim damaged our top order with his splendid bowling”.

Now let us take a close look at his test record. His average is 23.49 and 4.09 wickets/match. He took 5 wickets 25 times and an average of 2.59/over. It is pretty good. His best in test in bowling is 7-119

In One Day International he achieved his goal by completing his 400 wickets but now he has 440 wickets the highest in ODI. An average of 24.02 and 3.88 runs/over and best is 5-15.

As now he is leaving the world of cricket we will miss him and his splendid bowling. No other bowler can take his place and no other bowler can born like Wasim Akram. We wish him all the best in the future and would keep praying for the great Akram.