Cricket legend spills on 'serious' drug addiction

2 years ago 94

Pakistan cricket legend Wasim Akram has opened up connected a cocaine addiction that gripped him pursuing the extremity of his playing career.

Pakistan's starring Test and one-day planetary wicket-taker gives a earthy relationship of his conflict with the addiction successful his autobiography Sultan: A Memoir, acceptable to beryllium released connected November 10.

Akram played planetary cricket for the last clip successful 2003, and moved into commentary and coaching.

Extracts from his book, published with an interrogation successful The Times, uncover his addiction resulted from craving "a substitute for the adrenaline unreserved of competition", and ended aft the decease of his archetypal wife, Huma, successful 2009.

"I liked to indulge myself; I liked to party," Akram's autobiography reads.

"The civilization of fame successful southbound Asia is each consuming, seductive and corrupting. You tin spell to 10 parties a night, and immoderate do. And it took its toll connected me. My devices turned into vices.

"Worst of all, I developed a dependence connected cocaine. It started innocuously capable erstwhile I was offered a enactment astatine a enactment successful England; my usage grew steadily much serious, to the constituent that I felt I needed it to function.

"It made maine volatile. It made maine deceptive. Huma, I know, was often lonely successful this clip . . . she would speech of her tendency to determination to Karachi, to beryllium nearer her parents and siblings. I was reluctant. Why? Partly due to the fact that I liked going to Karachi connected my own, pretending it was enactment erstwhile it was really astir partying, often for days astatine a time.

"Huma yet recovered maine out, discovering a packet of cocaine successful my wallet . . . 'You request help.' I agreed. It was getting retired of hand. I couldn't power it. One enactment would go two, 2 would go four; 4 would go a gram, a gram would go two. I could not sleep. I could not eat. I grew inattentive to my diabetes, which caused maine headaches and temper swings. Like a batch of addicts, portion of maine welcomed discovery: the secrecy had been exhausting."

Akram explained that helium underwent rehabilitation but recovered the acquisition upsetting, detailing a con man's involvement successful wealth alternatively than aiding recovery.

"Try arsenic I might, portion of maine was inactive smouldering wrong astir the indignity of what I'd been enactment through," Akram's autobiography reads.

"My pridefulness was hurt, and the lure of my manner remained. I concisely contemplated divorce. I settled for heading to the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy where, retired from nether Huma's regular scrutiny, I started utilizing again."

Huma's decease successful October 2009, caused by a uncommon fungal infection, led to Akram quitting.

"That mode of beingness was over, and I person ne'er looked back," helium wrote.

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