Wasim Akram - The sorcerer..!!

Wasim Akram was the master swing bowler of the modern era. With Waqar Younis he formed one of the most lethal fast-bowling partnerships in the history of the game. When Wasim and Waqar were in their pomp during the mid-1990s they were a formidable force, decimating batting line-ups, and making Pakistan one of the world's best teams. Wasim provided a finesse in his bowling that was rare in fast bowlers. Waqar, the perfect foil, pounded in to bowl fast and furiously. He also had great skill, but Wasim was the magician when it came to deception.

Wasim was probably the most skilful and deceptive fast bowler I have watched. Nothing was ever the same twice in a row. He tested every single part of your game as a batsman, probing away for chinks in your technique. He would seem to be rushing towards you at the end of his run-up. He had great balance and a quick arm action, coupled with very strong shoulders, and had the ability to bowl deliveries that could be anywhere between 120 and 145kph with no discernible change in his action. This rapid change in pace from one delivery to the next was lethal.

Long before I seriously thought about a future career in cricket, I remember watching two of the most unforgettable deliveries ever, in the final of the 1992 World Cup. England were chasing 249 for victory and going well on 141 for 4 when Wasim came back for a mid-innings spell.

The first ball was the one round the wicket to Allan Lamb, England's match-winner during that period. The ball seemed to swing into the batsman, only to nip away at the last minute and take his off stump. It was a wicked, unplayable delivery. The next was perhaps even better, swinging about two feet to bowl Chris Lewis first ball. Lewis looked dumbfounded.

These deliveries were produced in the middle of the innings with the old ball. It was this unmatched ability to reverse-swing the ball that was Wasim's hallmark. It was an ability that was dogged by controversy, with many accusations around the world that reverse swing was the product of ball-tampering. I think these controversies took the focus away from what was a supreme skill.

If I am sure of any of the greatest batsman were given the opportunity to challenge their skill as a batsman by picking bowlers from history whom to face, Wasim would be an automatic choice. Perhaps the greatest tribute you can pay him is that in the current era of fast bowlers there is no one who can be judged to be in the same class. He was a once-in-a-generation cricketer who lifted fast bowling to new levels, and helped carry Pakistan to the top of world cricket. A true legend..!!