Sultan

A Memoir

By: Gideon Haigh, Wasim Akram

Narrated by: Ranjit Madgavkar

The official autobiography of Wasim Akram, the 'Sultan of Swing', one of the greatest fast bowlers in the history of cricket.

For twenty years, Wasim Akram let his cricket do the talking - with his electrifying left-arm pace, his explosive striking as a batsman, and his inspirational leadership. For another twenty years, he kept his own counsel about his cricketing days - full of drama, controversy and even mystery - in a country, Pakistan, that to outsiders is a constant enigma.

Sultan tells the story of cricket's greatest left-arm bowler, and one of its enduring survivors, who was chosen from the streets of Lahore and groomed by Imran Khan to become champion of the world - he was Man of the Match in the final of the 1992 World Cup which Pakistan won. Along the way were unforgettable rivalries with the legends of his time, from Viv Richards and Ian Botham to Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne. All of this against a backdrop of conspiracy and intrigue over ball tampering and match-fixing, about which Wasim finally sets the story straight.

Sultan provides an unprecedented insight into the life - both on and off the field - of a cricketer who revolutionized the sport with his speed and swing, and a patriot buoyed and burdened by the expectations of one of the game's most fanatical publics.

Loved it

What a great memoir. Somewhere in my mid twenties I lost being in touch with cricket but I did always feel like Wasim Akram, a legend of cricket never got the respect he deserved towards the end of his career. But I'm so so happy to know that he's doing great now. I have always admired him, been proud to be a Pakistani when his name is mentioned. Well done Wasim!

Wow. Couldn’t stop listening

Audio book. In Wasim Bajis own voice is a treat. What a great athlete. One of the greatest

Excellent and captivating story

Really enjoyed listening to the stories, but as noted by other commenters, the narrations was poor and off putting. What was really refreshing was to listen to Wasim about the role his wife, Huma, played in shaping his life, something often overlooked by men of that region. I found it really sad that Wasim never received a proper farewell by the PCB and hope that the PCB can hold some event in the future to celebrate and thank other stars that have had a similar exit from the game.

A lovely read

Sultan was a wonderful experience, and gave a whole new context to a sport and a team I grew up following.

The candor with which Wasim delves into his story was refreshing.

My Idol

Great book! Long time coming. Sultan made his true fans wait 20 yrs for this. It was worth the wait.
Started watching cricket mainly due to this legend. Great full to have grown up watching and following Wasim Akram’s great career. Only good thing about my childhood was being able to follow this legend from 1985 till 2003.
I stopped following/watching cricket in 2003; the day King of Swing retired.