Wasim Akram's statue in Hyderabad turns into comedy gold; social media reacts, ‘Astagfirullah'
Wasim Akram's statue has turned into comedy gold. Unveiled at Niaz Stadium in Hyderabad (Pakistan), the tribute to the cricket legend is being trolled online.
Instead of celebrating Akram's 1992 World Cup glory, fans are cracking up over the statue's face. Some social media users claim it looks more like Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone.
Memes and jokes have flooded social media, making the statue an accidental viral sensation.
'The only thing that looks real is the ball!!' commented one user.
Another wrote, 'Looks more like Shaktimaan!!'
'Let's sign a petition and arrest all the sculptors, Pehlay allama iqbal ka haal kia or ab Wasim Akram ka yeh haal kar dia (First, the sculptor made a mess of Allama Iqbal, now Wasim Akram),' came from another.
'It should be written below the statue that 'This is a statue of Wasim Akram',' quipped one user.
Another user wondered, 'Do they hate him? why such an ugly statue?'
A Pakistani user wrote, 'Astagfirullah. Well this statue depicts our country status at the moment Soo....'
Astagfirullah, meaning I seek forgiveness from Allah, is commonly used when people see or hear something obnoxious.
'Lgta 99 WC ka bdla lia he Waseem Akram se,' posted another.
Here is the clarification of the comment. Wasim Akram, a part of Pakistan's World Cup-winning squad in 1992, led his country to the finals of the 1999 Cricket World Cup.
However, Pakistan were bundled out for 132 in 39 overs, with Ijaz Ahmed being the highest scorer with 22. Australia reached the target in the 21st over. Pakistan lost the final to Australia by 8 wickets.
So, the user means Pakistani cricket fans have avenged their heartbreak.
Wasim Akram redefined left-arm pace bowling and left a legacy that still influences bowlers today. His numbers speak for him.
At the time of his retirement in 2003, Akram was the highest wicket-taker in One Day Internationals (ODIs) with 502 wickets in 356 matches. This made him the first bowler in ODI history to cross the 500-wicket mark.
Akram held this record for years. He now ranks second, behind Muttiah Muralitharan (534).
In World Cup cricket, Akram remains Pakistan's most successful bowler. He took 55 wickets in 38 World Cup matches. He is also the highest wicket-taker (916) for Pakistan in all formats. He is followed by Waqar Younis (789) and Imran Khan (544).
Akram is also the only player in history with two hat-tricks in both ODIs and Tests.
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