Wasim Akram was considered one of the best bowlers of his generation. The former Pakistani pacer is still an inspiration for many. Whenever there is a debate about the best bowlers to have played the game of cricket, Akram’s name definitely pops up. A recent example is a comparison between India’s young pacer Arshdeep Singh and the Pakistani legend.
Akram’s numbers speak for themselves. Talking about the same, the former Pakistan captain got emotional as he looked unhappy about how the current generation of Pakistan cricket fans remember him as a match-fixer and not the best in business. Akram said that while the rest of the cricketing world acknowledges his achievements and considers him the best bowler, fans in his country don’t give him the same respect.
"In Australia, England, West Indies and India, when they talk about the World XI, when they talk about the best bowler in the world, my name pops up but in Pakistan, this generation, this social media generation, they are the one who come down, every comment they send, they say, 'oh, he is a match fixer', not knowing what it was," said Akram on Wide World of Sports.
"I have passed that stage in my life where I have to worry about people," he stated further.
Notably, there were rumours of Akram trying to fix a 1996 match between Pakistan and New Zealand in Christchurch and also about his late withdrawal from the 1996 World Cup quarter-final loss to India. Wasim Akram represented his country in 104 Tests, picking up 414 wickets, which remains the highest for a Pakistani bowler. He also picked 502 wickets in 356 ODIs.
Apart from playing a crucial role in Pakistan winning the 1992 World Cup, he also captained his country to the final of the 1999 ICC World Cup and is widely regarded as the best left-arm fast bowler to have played the game.