Sachin Tendulkar: “He made the ball talk”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Sachin Tendulkar, the India legend widely regarded as the best batsman in the history of the sport, admitted that left-arm Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram has serious talent as he “made the ball talk”.
Wasim, who many believe is the best speedster Pakistan ever produced, had the ability to swing the ball both ways and also had a mean bouncer in his arsenal. Furthermore, he could unleash toe-crushing yorkers that were virtually unplayable.
Knowing what the Sultan of Swing was capable of, Tendulkar applauded him for being an absolutely phenomenal bowler.
“He made the ball talk,” he wrote in Wasim’s autobiography, Sultan: A Memoir, as quoted by Cricwick.
Wasim took 414 wickets in 104 Tests at an average of 23.62.
He is also the second-highest wicket-taker in ODI history with 502 wickets in 356 matches at an average of 23.52.
Pakistan are currently in the midst of a limited overs series against New Zealand and are 2-1 up in the five-match T20I series.
The fourth game will take place on Thursday in Rawalpindi.
Pakistan squad for T20I series against New Zealand:Â Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood and Zaman Khan
Pakistan squad for ODI series against New Zealand:Â Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haris Sohail, Ihsanullah, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood and Usama Mir