Wasim ready to have a ball

13 April 2012

The warrior inside Wasim Akram revealed himself just once while England were winning their Test series in Pakistan before Christmas.

After four and a half days of attritional, spin-dominated cricket, last November's First Test at Lahore had 'stalemate' stamped on it and there seemed no point in anyone raising a sweat.

Then, out of the blue, Wasim - who had bowled with little fire and even less hostility when the match was really alive - suddenly produced one of his frighten-ingly fast spells.

Charging in for six overs with the new ball, Wasim dismissed Marcus Trescothick and then forced Nasser Hussain to retire hurt with a wrist that was bruised but might easily have been broken.

And that was that. The First Test ended as a draw, Wasim bowled no better than moderately during the next game - his 100th at top level for Pakistan - and when England won, famously, in Karachi to pinch the series, the left-armer was missing with a back spasm.

Given 95 per cent of his work in those matches, Wasim is lucky to be making his fourth and final tour of England, which starts for real against Derbyshire today. But Hussain and Co will not forget those half a dozen overs in Lahore nor underestimate the part a still potentially great performer could play during the next few weeks. For if Wasim is in the mood - and it's anyone's guess whether he will be - then England may regret staging the two Tests of this mini-series at Lord's and Old Trafford.

They are among the former Pakistan captain's favourite grounds in the world: Lord's, because of its history, and Old Trafford as a result of playing nine successful seasons with Lancashire.

"I'm nearly 35 so this will be my last tour of England," said Wasim on arriving last week. "It's always nice to come here and I want to enjoy this trip to the max."

He hinted that he meant on the field, though if his current truce with new skipper and old pace partner Waqar Younis should end then he may have to have a ball away from cricket grounds.

England, however, fully expect Wasim to line up against them at Lord's on Thursday week - and so, apparently, does Waqar. It was not only suggested, pre-tour, that Waqar didn't want Wasim in his squad but also stated in Pakistan that a bowler with more than 400 Test wickets would struggle to earn a place in the first XI. Both theories could still prove accurate. But, in public at least, Waqar says: "Of course I want Wasim in the side. He's the key man."

That has been true, more often than not, since Wasim made his Test debut in 1984 as a teenager with next to no first-class experience.

He started as Imran Khan's protege, quickly became the great all-rounder's trusted assistant and eventually followed him to the captaincy. But if only the Wasim story was as simple as that.

Allegations of ball-tampering did him no long-term damage. But match-fixing accusations have proved altogether more difficult to dismiss and his name seems certain to be mentioned again when the International Cricket Council's anti-corruption unit delivers their first set of findings later this summer.

Wasim continues to profess his innocence and insists he would like to play on for a year or two yet. Certainly, those few overs in Lahore argued strongly against early retirement. More importantly, no one, not even Waqar, can match Wasim's experience of English conditions.

On three previous tours here, starting in 1987, he has taken 48 Test wickets at around 26 runs apiece. And while most of his nine summers with Lancashire had their magic moments, 1995 was especially golden. Wasim finished that campaign with 81 championship victims at an average of 19.

He is guaranteed a warm reception on his return to Manchester for Pakistan's Second Test. And, if he feels like stirring himself, he is guaranteed to give England's batsmen a thorough going over before the Ashes battle begins.

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