Wasim Akram
has made a startling revelation on his dependence on cocaine after retiring
from international cricket. The left-arm speedster is an inspirational figure
in Pakistan cricket due to his contributions to world cricket across the Test and
ODI formats.
He still
holds the record for most wickets in the ODI format by a pacer with 502 wickets
in 356 matches. The 53-year-old took 414 wickets in 104 games at an
average of 23.62. The southpaw has the highest score of 257* by a number eight
batter in Test format, which also included the most sixes (12) in a single
red-ball innings.
In his autobiography
Sultan: A Memoir, Akram discussed the struggles he faced after bidding farewell
to international cricket in 2003. This was the point when he started to have cravings
for drugs, which ultimately ended after her wife Huma passed away in 2009.
Akram stated
that the excessive intake of drugs took a toll on his body while making him deceptive.
The former Pakistan national added that he could not sleep, nor eat due to his
uncontrollable urge to the addiction.
However, Huma
brought Akram’s life back to normal, after witnessing the cricketer’s health. In
this regard, the former pacer thanked his late wife for helping him to recover
from the bad phase of life.
"I
liked to indulge myself; I liked to party. The culture of fame in South Asia is
all-consuming, seductive and corrupting. You can go to ten parties a night, and
some do. And it took its toll on me. My devices turned into vices," Akram
was quoted as saying.
"Worst
of all, I developed a dependence on cocaine. It started innocuously enough when
I was offered a line at a party in England; my use grew steadily more serious,
to the point that I felt I needed it to function. It made me volatile. It made
me deceptive," Akram wrote.
"Huma's
last selfless, unconscious act was curing me of my drug problem. That way of
life was over, and I have never looked back," Akram added.
Currently,
Akram works as a commentator and also marks his presence in the news channels covering
big tournaments.
