LONDON, 19 May 2003 — Pakistan’s Wasim Akram announced his retirement from international cricket yesterday after 19 years as one of the world’s leading all-rounders.
The 36-year-old left-arm fast bowler, currently playing for English county Hampshire, is the only cricketer in history to take 500 One-Day International wickets.
“There’s an end to everything in life... I have enjoyed every bit of it,” Wasim said during a break in a match against his former team Lancashire at Old Trafford, Manchester.
“There are no regrets. There have been ups and downs but I would not have changed it for anything else,” Wasim told Sky Sports television. Wasim confirmed he would not be in the Pakistan team for next month’s one-day series in England.
“They’re a new young side ... and they must get ready for the next World Cup,” he said. Wasim, one of the best exponents of reverse swing, reached the 500-wicket mark during this year’s World Cup in South Africa, his fifth appearance in cricket’s showpiece tournament. He was man of the match in Pakistan’s victory over England in the 1992 final and captained the side that lost the 1999 final to Australia. Wasim also took 414 wickets in 104 Test matches for Pakistan, who have overlooked their former captain since their disappointing World Cup showing. “My future is somewhere else after September, maybe in television or coaching,” said Wasim. He played the first of his record 356 One-Day Internationals in 1984 against New Zealand in Faisalabad and finished with 502 victims. A powerful middle-order batsman, Wasim’s best Test score was 257 not out against Zimbabwe in 1996-97. His highest one-day knock was 86. Wasim’s career has not been without controversy, notably in 2000 when he was one of six players censured and fined for not cooperating fully with an investigation commissioned by the Pakistan Cricket Board following the sport’s great match-fixing scandal.
Most cricket fans, however, will remember him in his pomp in the early 1990s, long-haired, keen-eyed and quick-stepping up to the wicket before unleashing one of the quickest left arms the sport has ever seen.
Windies Struggle in Second
One-Dayer vs. Australia
In Kingston, Jamaica, Australia’s Glenn McGrath took four wickets for 31 runs to help bowl West Indies out for just 163 in 49 overs in the second One-Day International yesterday.
Fellow pace bowler Brett Lee chipped in with two for 22 off seven overs, while Andy Bichel also took two wickets for 27 runs off five overs as the Australian attack restricted the big-hitting West Indies batters from the start. Lee made the early breakthrough when he stooped low to take a return catch from Devon Smith for one to leave the home side four for one, before Marlon Samuels (six) mistimed a hook off McGrath and became the first of wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist’s four catches. West Indies captain Brian Lara was the next to go when he edged Bichel to Gilchrist before opener Chris Gayle, who had struggled with his timing, was dismissed for 28 in virtually identical circumstances.
Jason Gillespie then had Ramnaresh Sarwan (14) caught at first slip by the low-diving Matthew Hayden to leave the home side struggling at 75 for five.
Ricardo Powell tried to increase the scoring rate, but when he was out for 32, spooning a Brad Hogg delivery to McGrath at long leg, the home side were 103 for six in the 31st over. Australia won the rain-affected first match in Jamaica on Saturday by two runs.
