Former Pakistan cricketer Wasim Akram was formally inducted into the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Hall of Fame on Sunday.
Minutes before the clash between Karachi Kings and Quetta Gladiators in the 28th match of the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season, Akram was presented with the honour by the West Indies' cricket stalwart Sir Vivian Richards.
The legendary pacer is the first Pakistani to formally make it to the exclusive list. Abdul Qadir, Fazal Mahmood, Hanif Mohammad, Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Waqar Younis and Zaheer Abbas are a part of the PCB Hall of Fame but are yet to be formally bestowed with the prestigious honour.
Following Akram's induction, PCB posted a video on their official Twitter account that featured the 55-year-old's heartwarming message. Akram expressed his gratitude after the achievement.
"I feel privileged to have received this great honour from Sir Vivian Richards, one of the most iconic figures in cricket, and at a venue that remained my home ground during my playing career. I also want to compliment the Pakistan Cricket Board for launching this initiative to recognise and acknowledge the contributions of former cricketers," Akram said as quoted by Indian Express.
"It has been an honour to represent Pakistan over 18 years during which I played in 460 international matches. Every wicket and every run I scored in these matches was priceless. I can’t thank God Almighty enough for providing me the opportunity to serve this great country at the highest level," he added.
In his illustrious cricketing career that lasted about 19 years, Akram featured in 104 Test matches and 356 ODIs. He scored 6,615 runs and claimed 916 scalps at the international arena.