If a cricketer says he is not in it for women, he’s lying: Wasim Akram

Time Out with Ahsan Khan has proven to be one of the most widely followed celebrity talk shows of 2021. Not only is Khan’s style of asking questions quite approachable but the variety of guests he invites to talk, adds new flavour to the mix.

Keeping in mind the country’s current craze around Pakistan Super League (PSL), Khan had invited ace cricketers Wasim Akram and Moin Khan to play a few cover drives and duck a few controversial bouncers.

“I have become very talkative over the years and this has to do with my wife Shaniera, she talks a lot,” Akram quipped during the conversation. “Shaniera is so full of energy that at times when I feel like relaxing, I end up spending time with her and in turn, talking more than usual to match her pace and vibe.”

Khan asked about how being icons such as the two of them can often be challenging since staying in the limelight isn’t as easy as it seems? “We have earned our reputation by winning the cricket World Cup,” replied Khan. “So if I am running an academy today or creating new platforms for youngsters it is just my way of giving back to the country.”

Akram poked Khan in return saying how he had given a very well-thought-out reply to the question. “I have a different mantra than Moin. I retired in 2003, so almost 18 years? Till this date whatever I have done or whoever I have become is a result of a conscious effort to adapt and change with the public’s interest in mind.”

Fielding for the ladies

Getting nostalgic about the golden days of cricket, Ahsan wondered what kept them so dedicated on the field? “We used to say ‘if you wanted Waqar or Wasim to bowl better and faster, then place two women near the screens and they’ll naturally start performing better,” said Moin, laughingly. Adding onto that Akram said, “If any cricketer claims that he has never thought about being surrounded by women on the field, believe me, that’s an obvious lie.”

Akram recalled the specifics on how this notion of ‘attracting women’ would play out in the field. “There were two reasons why anyone wanted the third man or fine leg position in Sharjah, first there was a shade there and second, there were women.”

As a wicketkeeper people might assume that it would be difficult for Khan to scan the field from behind the wicket but that really wasn’t the case “I know people say I don’t look like the one who would bat an eye when on-field but by the grace of God I’m blessed with great eyesight so even behind wicket I could find reasons to cheer myself up,” said Khan.