There is a famous saying in Delhi’s local cricket circuit: Har jawaan left-arm pacer khud ko Akram samajhta hai — every young left-arm pacer sees himself as Wasim Akram.
It is not meant to demean the bowler. Instead, it is a tribute to a man widely regarded as one of the greatest left-arm fast bowlers in cricket history.
Wasim Akram was many things — an all-rounder, a captain and a useful lower-order batter who scored 257, his highest Test score. But it was his bowling that made him a legend. Even 23 years after his retirement, his record continues to stand out. Akram took 502 wickets in ODIs, the most by any fast bowler in the format and second overall behind Sri Lankan great Muttiah Muralitharan.
Alongside Imran Khan and Javed Miandad, Akram is widely considered one of Pakistan’s greatest cricketers.
So, when a young left-arm pacer from India burst onto the scene during the 2003 tour of Australia and Pakistan, comparisons with Akram were almost inevitable.
Irfan Pathan had a dream start to his international career. On his Test debut in Sydney, he dismissed Steve Waugh before producing a superb reverse-swinging delivery to get rid of Adam Gilchrist. He then picked up 16 wickets in 10 matches during the ODI tri-series in Australia before taking eight wickets in three ODIs on India’s tour of Pakistan.
With Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra already established in the Indian pace attack, Pathan’s arrival gave India a left-arm quick who looked capable of becoming a long-term match-winner.
His action had similarities with Akram’s, he could generate good pace and, perhaps most importantly, he had the ability to make the ball reverse.
Pathan also had the opportunity to learn directly from the Pakistani great.
Akram recently recalled his first meeting with Pathan in 2004 when the young Indian pacer was on his first tour of Australia. Akram was working as a commentator for ESPNStar at the time and shared some advice with the youngster.
“Irfan met me in 2004 on his first tour to Australia, I was commentating for ESPNStar. He was a big fan. Grew up watching us. I gave him a few tips here and there, but he did well early on in his career. His action was similar to mine from the very beginning,” Akram said on the 1 Mint podcast.
According to Akram, the advice he offered was not just about bowling technique. Once a player reaches the international level, he believes the bigger challenge is understanding the game and developing the right mindset.
“When players ask you about something, what you tell them is mostly about the mindset. Action and all is fine, because at that stage, you have reached that level where you’re representing the country. Things like wrist position and how to suss out a batsman. When to use variations, when not to,” he added.
Akram also had a light-hearted observation about Pathan’s activities on social media.
“Irfan is a good boy; he still keeps meeting me. It’s a different thing that he keeps tweeting some or the other thing against Pakistan. But our fans are ready too. They don’t have the tendency to ignore either. They just have to reply,” Akram said.
Pathan certainly enjoyed playing against Pakistan. He took 67 wickets in 36 internationals against them — 27 in Tests, 34 in ODIs and six in T20Is.
One of his most memorable performances came in Karachi in 2006, when he became only the second Indian bowler to take a Test hat-trick. Pathan dismissed Salman Butt, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf in the first over of the match.
Over the years, Pathan has also been outspoken about Pakistan cricket and its players. He has spoken about several incidents from his playing days and has not shied away from expressing his views on India-Pakistan cricketing matters.
In a podcast around a year ago, Pathan recalled an incident involving former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi during the early stages of his career. He has also been vocal on social media and in the media around major India-Pakistan cricket events.
His comments around the Asia Cup 2025 final attracted particular attention following the controversy involving PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi and the presentation of the trophy after India’s victory.
For all the rivalry between the two countries, however, Akram’s recollection of Pathan also highlights a different side of the India-Pakistan cricket relationship — one where a young Indian pacer could seek advice from one of Pakistan’s greatest fast bowlers and learn from his experience.
Pathan may have eventually moved in a different direction, but the connection with Akram remains an interesting chapter in his cricketing journey.
