TeaThe West Indies tour of Pakistan in 1986 was considered an equal contest despite the fact that the Windies were the best team at the time. The Pakistanis, however, were seen as a serious challenge in this series.
The crucial first test was conducted in Faisalabad. Pakistan batted first and got bundled out for 159 runs. At this stage, it was expected that the West Indies would score heavily and take a substantial first innings lead. Pakistani left-arm fast bowler Wasim Akram, in only his second year of international cricket, was leading the bowling attack. And he had different plans.
Akram had the great Gordon Greenidge leg before wicket when he was on just 10 runs. The fast bowler then produced three identical balls to shake the West Indies middle order by catching Roger Harper, Malcolm Marshall and the great Viv Richards.
Akram then bowled another spell to clear the tail. In 25 overs, Akram showed that he can make an impact on the entire Windies batting line-up. Despite Akram’s brilliant effort, the West Indies still managed to take a hundred-run lead in the game. Things looked even more bleak for Pakistan when Javed Miandad and Imran Khan were dismissed cheaply as the team needed runs in the last innings to put pressure on the West Indies. It was Akram again who scored a quickfire 66 off 82 balls. He was the last man out and took his team to a total of 328. West Indies were bundled out for just 53 runs in their fourth innings.
In only his second year of international cricket, Akram helped his team win Test matches with both bat and ball. What is often overlooked is that during Akram’s career, his runs were as important as the wickets he took.
batting to save the match
A few years later in 1987, when Wasim was relatively young in Tests, he played an important innings with the bat against England at Leeds. He scored more than 40 runs in less than one ball to help his team take a crucial lead in the first innings. The wicket on which the English team was bundled out for just 136 runs, Akram hit 4 sixes at a strike rate of over a hundred. As a result, Pakistan won by an innings and 18 runs. In the same year, Akram scored 40 against England at a strike rate close to a hundred.
England were all out for 175 and Pakistan won by an innings and 87 runs.
The third Test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Faisalabad in 1992 is now forgotten, but it was one of the most interesting and close contests ever played by the two teams. Pakistan were in dire straits in the fourth innings chasing 185 for victory. Javed Miandad, Salim Malik and Imran Khan were dismissed for a total of 6 runs and when Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Ratnayake clean bowled Hanif Mohammad’s talented son Shoaib, it was all over for Pakistan. Akram scored a half-century to ensure Pakistan’s 3-wicket victory. He curbed his natural stroke play and played a responsible Test innings in sync with the match situation. In the same year, he played a key role in the Second Test against England at Lord’s. In a low-scoring match, he scored 24 in the first innings to help Pakistan take a narrow lead. In the second innings, Pakistan were completely at sea, with three of their middle-order batsmen gone for a duck.
Things turned from bad to worse when Inzamam-ul-Haq got himself run out at the worst possible stage of the innings. Pakistan looked all set to lose the match when Akram once again held his ground with the bat. He scored a match-winning 45 and remained not out. Pakistan won this match by 2 wickets. In a Test match against New Zealand in Auckland in 1994, Wasim scored a crucial 35 to ensure that Pakistan did not gain a large first innings lead. Akram was often blasted with the ball due to the adrenaline rush he achieved with the bat. The Kiwis had no reply to his bowling and he took 6 wickets to finish the match in his team’s favour.
Pakistan’s tour of Australia in 1994 was a mouth-watering encounter. Both the teams had match winning cricketers. The first Test in Karachi showed who was the biggest match-winner. Akram scored 39 priceless runs when his team needed him the most. Once again, his bat ensured that Pakistan did not take a huge first innings lead. Then he extended his hand to take 5 wickets and Pakistan won the match by 1 wicket.
Akram’s finest moment with the bat came with a match-saving aim. It was in Sheikhupura, the heritage city built by Emperor Jahangir. Once again Akram came out to bat when his team was in trouble, this time against Zimbabwe. They scored 375 in the first innings and when it was Pakistan’s turn to chase, the team was 237 for 7. Akram batted for nearly 500 minutes and hit 22 fours and 12 sixes. He remained not out on 257 runs. Today it is forgotten that Wasim started this innings when Pakistan’s back was against the wall. Few left-arm opening bowlers have scored a double century in Test cricket.
Akram has always scored crucial runs when his team needed him the most. In the first match of the Asian Test Championship 1999 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, he scored a crucial 38 as captain of the team to ensure that Pakistan stayed in the fight. Pakistan eventually won by 46 runs. In a Test match in Colombo in 2000, Akram was at the end of his playing days when he batted very responsibly to score 78 as Pakistan secured another victory. He scored his last Test century in 2000, 16 years after making his Test debut.
Wasim Akram’s knock has ranged from quick cameos to batting efforts that have resulted in benefits for his team. Not only as a bowler, he was also an asset to his country as a batsman – the trait of a master all-rounder.
Kush Singh is the founder of @singhkb The Cricket Curry Tour Company. Thoughts are personal.