When Akram pulled a fast one on Wasim
On any given day and on any given pitch, Wasim Akram was the deadliest bowler a batsman could face during the time the eternal genius played the game. Bangladesh former captain Akram Khan, however, had the better of the Pakistan captain during an Asia Cup game in 1995.
Akram revealed the story of how he turned the tables on Wasim during a Facebook live chat with Tamim Iqbal where Wasim himself made a cameo appearance.
A beaming Wasim Akram showed up on Tamim's live Facebook meet on Tuesday night. There was some opportunity for remembrance of the golden days of the past, a shared past of Bangladesh cricketers enjoying cricket playing against the likes of Wasim. The former Pakistan paceman may have been forgetful of many of the incidents that happened over a long and exciting career, but Akram Khan reminded him of a particularly comical story that should tickle the bones of any cricket lover.
The story comes from the 1995 Asia Cup where Bangladesh played alongside India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Wasim was at his enthralling best and in Pakistan's match against India on April 7, had hit Sachin Tendulkar with a bouncer a day before the match against Bangladesh the next day. The Bangladesh players knew what they would be facing the next day.
"Wasim bhai do you remember what happened in the Asia Cup in Sharjah?"
Wasim said 'only vaguely' and Akram said with a smile, "I will remind you."
"A day before, against India, you bowled a bouncer to Sachin Tendulkar and then you also won the match. Then the day after you arrived and I was captain of Bangladesh. It was very hot that day and you asked me, 'Akram, if you win the toss, what will you do?' I said that we will field first.
"You asked, 'are you sure?' and I said yes. So, you said that, 'okay, today is very hot so I will not go for warm-up. Then, when I am going for the toss, [Minhajul Abedin] Nannu bhai said to me that 'why are you going for fielding? They will score 300 runs. Better if you win and take batting'.
"So, I took batting after winning the toss."
Akram chose to take batting that day and Wasim wasn't happy. "You came to my dressing room and said 'Akram, you come and I will see you [on the field]'."
Wasim started clapping as he cried out, "I remember now".
Akram, with an ear-to-ear grin said: "Oh man, I was scared like anything that day."
Bangladesh did manage to play out 50 overs in that match even as Pakistan won by six wickets. However, it is not difficult to imagine the cold sweat that shivered Akram on that very hot day in Sharjah.