Somebody told me that during the lunch break of the England versus New Zealand, Alan Davidson said that Wasim Akram was the best swing bowler he has ever seen by a long way! I could not agree with that statement any more.

Akram could do things with the cricket ball that nobody could before and nobody has been able to since. He made the ball talk! Mark Waugh once said that if he was born again, he would like to be Wasim Akram because he can win matches in so many different ways by himself.

One of Akram's greatest strengths was his uncanny ability to know his limitations and his strengths and bowl accordingly. He never tried to lengthen his run up or bowl faster. He was always focused on bowling the best!

The art of reverse swing was really revolutionized by the 2 W's - Wasim and Waqar. I would say that the two of them are the best swing bowlers the game has ever seen. Boy, do I miss not having them in the Pakistan side!