'My Wife Was Unconscious, I Was Crying, We Didn't Have Indian Visa': Wasim Akram Recalls Tragic Incident

Legendary Pakistan speedster Wasim Akram has discussed contentious topics such as match-fixing allegations, ball tampering and substance abuse in his autobiography Sultan: A Memoir.

Akram participated in a discussion on his autobiography at The Hindu Lit for Life Literature Festival. While speaking at the event, Akram shared a heartwarming anecdote about his late wife Huma Akram, who died due to heart and kidney complications in 2009.

In October 2009, the former Pakistan captain was travelling to Singapore from Lahore on an air ambulance as his wife was due to receive treatment at the Mount Elizabeth Hospital.

Akram revealed that when his flight halted at the Chennai airport for refuelling, the officials supported him to a great extent.

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“I was flying to Singapore with my late wife and there was a stop in Chennai for refuelling. When we landed, she was unconscious, I was crying and people recognized me at the airport. We didn’t have an Indian visa. We both had Pakistani passports. The people at the Chennai airport, the security forces, and the customs and immigration officials told me not to worry about the visa and take my wife to the hospital while they sort the visa out. That is something I will never forget, as a cricketer and as a human being,” Wasim Akram was quoted as saying at the The Hindu Lit for Life event.

Wasim Akram has always batted for more people-to-people contact between India and Pakistan. Akram, a Punjabi from Lahore, enjoys tremendous popularity in India and has often called for the resumption of cricketing ties between the two countries.

Therefore, it isn’t surprising to see Akram expressing gratitude towards Indian officials who helped him during that tough period.

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At the event, Wasim Akram also remembered Pakistan’s famous Test victory at Chennai in 1999. Akram is widely considered one of the greatest fast bowlers in the history of the game.

He formed a menacing combination with Waqar Younis in the 1990s. A master of both swing and seam, Akram represented Pakistan in 104 Tests, claiming 414 wickets at an average of 23.62.

The wily Akram also picked up 502 wickets in 356 One-Day Internationals. He is currently the head coach of the Pakistan Super League side Karachi Kings.

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