Ready to play his fifth World Cup, Wasim Akram is cricket's Big Daddy, a respected buzurg competing and beating others half his age.
When he first played in 1987, Parthiv Patel did not know the ABC, but Wasim, even then, was a cricket PhD.
At that time he delivered brisk in-swing which surprised batsmen with movement and sharp pace.
Lithe and supple, he had a run up which changed with every ball and his bowling methods from the beginning were very much his own. But though he violated conventional cricket wisdom, there was no need to seek a second opinion about Akram's awesome talent.
Initially Imran was Akram's guru , to an extent that if the imperious Pakistani captain walked into a room he'd get up out of respect. But Imran was a wise tutor who gave Akram space , allowing him to grow in a natural manner. This Wasim readily admits, and has always spoken about Imran's strong support.
Not that a genius like him needed assistance. Akram has over 900 international wickets, his success resting on a capacity to throw up a bewildering variety at the batsmen. He does whatever a bowler can possibly do - bowls quick when he wants to , moves the new ball either way , reverse swings the old one , has a fierce yorker and a deceptive slow ball, is normally side-on but can get chest-on, operates from over the wicket , comes round... his bag contains more tricks than PC Sarkar or Gogia Pasha.
Being a complete natural, Wasim is unburdened by excessive cricket theory or technique, he possesses the Allah-given dain of doing wonderful things with the ball. Ask him to explain his craft and he says it is only a matter of rhythm , of running in smoothly and working the wrist. Tappa theek girna chahiye, after that it is possible to do anything.
{{/usCountry}}Being a complete natural, Wasim is unburdened by excessive cricket theory or technique, he possesses the Allah-given dain of doing wonderful things with the ball. Ask him to explain his craft and he says it is only a matter of rhythm , of running in smoothly and working the wrist. Tappa theek girna chahiye, after that it is possible to do anything.
{{/usCountry}}Which sounds terribly immodest but Akram is strictly matter of fact , he is not a snooty, sarphira superstar.
He knows precisely how special he is but is confident without being abrasive. On the contrary, be it his personality or cricket , Wasim is like malai - smooth and fluid.
But there is plenty of steel as well in Akram . Last few years he has been knocked around, his integrity questioned after startling disclosures (by several teammates) and court statements by Javed Miandad, who despite the flare up was team coach when Akram captained the team to India!
During this traumatic spell Akram lost the captaincy and much else but did not allow the swirling controversies to distract him. He continued playing and continued taking wickets.
His commitment is best illustrated by what happened in the Calcutta Test when Pakistan, on the last day , was in a tight situation.
That morning Wasim was running high fever, had a cold and a bad throat, his toe was bruised and he needed two insulin shots, which he gave himself with a needle in the dressing room.
He said not one word about his state , did not complain. Just took field and bowled with fire. Pakistan won.
South Africa could possibly be Akram's last chance to sparkle , a fitting end to a glittering career. But going by his track record, and that of Pakistan, who knows what the future has in store. Maybe he decides to stretch some more overs out of his body.