It's breathless. As he charged in, burst through the crease and delivered the cricket ball, Wasim Akram left pundit and layman alike as he left them. Ball after ball, over after over, match after match, year after year for 17 years, the left-arm paceman of all time, is the epitome of what a paceman should be. In an era of hyperbole and unalloyed hype, it's no wonder that Akram was referred to as a "genius".
It's breathless. After reading Sultan, one is left with a feeling of satisfaction. As the book goes from one event to another, one happy episode to another sordid chapter, the title couldn't be more appropriate. You feel as if you have beensailed by an overload of information, not much of it new or previously un revealed.
'Sultan: A Memoir Paperback' is a 304 page book.
Sultan is a great read for the initiated. The journey from Model Town in Pakistan to the hallowed turf of the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Lord's in London was chronicled. He used the red and white balls of different makes to overwhelm and overwhelm the opposition at the highest level, always doing so with a generous smile that did little to hide his intense competitiveness.
He only played five Twenty20 games, which is a shame because he would have been an unquestioned hit in that format, given his prolificity with the ball and his penchant to smack a fair few out of the park. All geniuses have more to offer than just numbers. Supporters of all nations set their loyalties aside and enjoyed his work because of the delight he gave the audience.
Sultan will clear the air if anyone is still in doubt. The World Cup winning captain handheld him in his early days. He wrote that he was his project. He told me to accentuate my pivot so that my shoulder snapped. He made me secure the ball with my third and fourth fingers, so that the seam wouldn't fall out. He worked on my variations and taught me how to bowl at the death in one day internationals.
The admiration is not exclusive to one person. The first 15 chapters of Sultan are preceded by testimonials from famous athletes. The only Pakistan in that list is Imran, who says that he has never seen a cricketer like him. Everything about him was natural, and what I taught him was the importance of self-discipline if he wanted to fulfill his enormous potential.
You understand why all the greats of Pakistan have been asked for an endorsement. He says that Akram's relationships with most of his colleagues were testy. Not even with Miandad, who was in charge of the entry into the big league, did he enjoy a good relationship. It's possible that it had something to do with the fact that Akram aligned himself with the other power center in Pakistan cricket. After guiding his troops to an unlikely, epochal World Cup triumph at the MCG in 1992, it may have meant that Akram became a lonely figure, falling out with most of his friends.
The kind of forces in play in Pakistan cricket can be seen in the long list of issues that Akram had with people in Pakistan. Even though the duo weren't the best of buddies during their time together, Saleem and Aamer, along with administrator Majid Khan, are his primary objects of ire. He made friends all over the world, most notably at Lancashire, where he played for a decade.
There were allegations of ball-tampering and match- fixing, as well as his addiction to cocaine, which his late wife played a role in ridding him of. Both independent and brave women who stood up for their convictions came through as pillars of strength and support for him.
One of the most challenging parts of writing a book is trying to duplicate the tone of the main character. Haigh has made it through the choppy waters with characteristic deftness, though one feels that it is the story of Akram and his voice. It's a little odd that there isn't a lot of attention paid to obvious detail. The 1987 World Cup was hosted by Pakistan, India and Sri Lankan. Let's leave it at that.
Sultan is compelling, honest and frank (mostly), though you feel it could have been more. Then again, isn’t that what we generally say about the good things in life?
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