Wasim Akram is regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers in the history of cricket. A former Pakistan cricket captain, he remains popular throughout the cricketing world and often commentates for world cricket events. Akram holds the world record for most wickets in List A cricket, with 881, and he is second only to Sri Lankan off-spin bowler Muttiah Muralitharan in terms of ODI wickets.

He is considered to be one of the founders, and perhaps the finest exponent of, reverse swing bowling and is often referred to as the "Sultan of Swing". In 2009, Akram was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. In October 2013, Wasim Akram was the only Pakistani cricketer to be named in a Wisden all-time Test World XI to mark the 150th anniversary of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack.