Legendary Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid has heaped praise on Pakistan bowling great Wasim Akram.
Dravid believes that Akram was an inspiration for pacers all over the world and especially the sub-continent.
"Wasim was a real inspiration for fast bowlers all over the world and especially in the sub-continent. His career coincided with the advent of better-quality television production and the growth of TV sets. And his skills reached so many kids who aspired to bowl like him. When he was bowling, you were captivated," Dravid wrote in Akram's biography 'Sultan: A Memoir'.
"Easily one of the most skilful bowlers I have played against. A tough competitor but always had a smile on his face and exuded joy and confidence both on and off the field. Pleasure to have both played against him and interacted with him," he added.
In a career which spanned 19 years Akram featured in 104 Tests scoring 2898 runs at 22.64 and claiming 414 wickets at 23.62. In 356 ODIs, he scored 3717 runs at 16.52 and bagged 502 wickets at 23.52. He was the first man to achieve the double of 400 wickets in both Tests and ODIs.
It must be noted that Akram has also revealed his post-retirement cocaine addiction in his book.
"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," he wrote in his book as quoted by the ESPNcricinfo.
"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 was getting out of hand. I couldn't control it. One line would become two, two would become four; four would become a gram, a gram would become two. I could not sleep. I could not eat. I grew inattentive to my diabetes, which caused me headaches and mood swings. Like a lot of addicts, part of me welcomed discovery: the secrecy had been exhausting.”
- Kapil Dev
