The untold life story of famous cricketer Wasim Akram ... First EPISODE

 There were Blake Malikman and there was the country. He was not restraining his actions, but his arbitrariness was growing.

The two had decided that today they would take the complaint to her grandmother and also present her a bill for the loss of their broken utensils and milk.

The two reached an old and dilapidated house on Hari Shah Road and knocked. A thin and kind old woman opened the door. She was well acquainted with the shopkeepers in her neighbourhood. Seeing them, the woman kindly asked for his well-being and he burst into tears."Auntie! Today we have left our base and come to tell you that your grandson has ruined our customer." If he wants to play cricket, he should go to university grounds and play cricket. What is the point of playing cricket in the streets of the neighbourhood? Milk spoils ... and you and sometimes the customers sitting in the shop are also injured by the ball. We have explained it many times but it does not stop. She was embarrassed to hear what her granddaughter had done and spoke humbly.

"Once he comes home today, I will ask him. You will not complain in the future. By the way, give me the bill for the loss you have suffered, I will give you the money.

"Auntie! Does it feel good for us to receive our loss money from you now? Just explain it to me."

This was the period of 77-76. There was political unrest in Lahore, but in the streets of Lahore, children and youth, indifferent to political strife, enjoyed their own sports. In those days, cricket was becoming a glamorous sport all over the world. Pakistan's cricket team was breaking the spell of hockey and football in big cities due to famous cricketers like Zaheer Abbas, Imran Khan, Mian Dad and cricket was spreading its legs in alleys and neighbourhoods. Young children and teenage boys had cricket phobia. This passion for cricket was dear to the parents of that time. But cricket fans were intoxicated with the new game, ignoring the beatings of their families. Even in the narrow, dark and rotten streets of Hari Shah Road, Gandam Mandi and Begum Road of Mozang base, cricket was practised by underage boys who would be on their fronts before dawn. They had the best cricket bats to play and no leather balls Wasim was ten years old in those days. He was a slender and tallboy but his bowling style and surprisingly fast hair made him popular among the youth of the area. Every team would try to have Wasim play for him. He used to play regardless of his acceptance and popularity. But his aggressive play was causing complaints in the neighbourhood.

When Wasim reached home that day, his grandmother took him by the hand and twisted his ear.

"Have I kept you here so that you can humiliate me from the people of the neighbourhood? I have told you many times before that you should quit cricket and concentrate on your studies. But you will not give up." Tell me, what do you want? Wasim had no reason to defend himself. He had learned that the shopkeepers in the neighbourhood had complained to Nani today. He put his arm around his grandmother's neck as usual to save himself and said softly:

"Nani Aman! There will be no further complaints."

"Look, Wasim! Your mother is very strict. When he finds out that instead of studying, he has only become a cricketer, he will break his bones. My darling! I am not saying that education is necessary for you not to play cricket. Your father has enrolled you in such a good school to make you a senior officer and that is why you are staying with me here.

Nani Aman explained a lot to get Wasim on the right path but Wasim listened to all the advice from one ear and took it out from the other. He continued to play cricket in the same streets in his own way as usual.

Wasim's parents lived in Model Town (Lahore). Her two older brothers Nadeem and Naeem and younger sister Sofia lived with their parents. Wasim's parents, after having two eldest sons, expected that Allah Almighty would give them a daughter, but God gave them a lucky son and then blessed them with a daughter. Wasim's father enrolled him in the Cathedral Church School in Lahore, far from Model Town, for a better education. So she had to move to Nani Aman because the school was only a five-minute walk from her house.

Before moving to Mozang, Wasim was keen to play table tennis in Model Town. He was also addicted to kite flying and pigeon flying. So when he was sent to his grandmother, his mother specifically said to her mother:

"Mom! Wasim is very keen on sports. You have to watch it. Otherwise, he will be wandering in the streets all day."

But despite the promises, the grandmothers could not restrict their grandchildren from home to school and from school to home. He studied less and played more games. He soon became the captain of both cricket and table tennis at school. Surprisingly, Wasim Akram was proving to be a very good player despite not being a teacher. He was advised by his English teacher to focus only on one sport which should be cricket only. Because he can be the best all-rounder. Wasim was influenced by this teacher's advice and he focused all his attention on cricket (Written by Shahid Nazeer Chaudhry)