Wasim Akram and his battle with diabetes

[Slog]

Did it rob him of greater heights?

Wasim Akram was diagnosed with diabetes before he turned 30 and was at the peak of his career.

I was watching a Wasim Akram interview from a few days ago and he mentioned how he felt sick and his world came crashing down around him and that he was in a state of depression for almost 2 months after hearing the terrible news and often used to ask why God had chosen this for him.. And that he struggled for first year or so.

But the he decided he would not let his life be defined by this and he born for cricket and will continue it no matter what. He said how the team supported him a lot and PCB was very helpful. He used to carry chocolates with him and hand it to the umpire when bowling and have it if he felt his sugar levels were going low.

He mentioned how he had to take 4 insulin injections everyday and has been doing so for close to 20 years now and its second nature to him now.

Doing a whole lot of physical activities as a diabetes patient is a challenge to begin with but for someone to mantain his level and play at the highest level is truly unheard of before than and since.

In desi culture atleast in my experience is that people who are diagnosed with diabetes usually become very physiclly inactive and get tired very quickly and are actively discouraged from doing physical things so this was a big achievement

Theres no doubt Wasim did an incredible job of not letting diabetes take over his life but for those who followed it at the time was there any apparent or visible effect on Wasim after his diagnosis?

 

[karthikc]

I was actually thinking of posting this as a query...its incredible how he managed his career with such high level of diabetes..ithink mamoon and de bassim can attempt to answer this

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[Belawal2014]

Yes, completely agree. Having diabetes really did hamper Wasim's career to an extent just as Waqar Younis' was when his pinkie finger was cut in an accident.

 

[Belawal2014]

[MENTION=138463]Slog[/MENTION] was this the interview with Reham Khan where Wasim's wife Shaniera was also brought?

 

[Slog]

[MENTION=138463]Slog[/MENTION] was this the interview with Reham Khan where Wasim's wife Shaniera was also brought?

yup and another interview i found thrpugh google.

 

[#GreenRoars]

[MENTION=138463]Slog[/MENTION] was this the interview with Reham Khan where Wasim's wife Shaniera was also brought?

yes. same interview. and also he talked about Shoaib akhter and Shahid afridi

 

[Neferpitou]

Quite an achievement.

Though more amazed at how he managed to average 22 at 400 wickets with the amount of dropped catches.

 

[Mamoon]

Definitely an achievement and something that's not talked about enough.

Diabetes is very controllable but it can really impact you mentally, considering the fact that you've to live with it for the rest of your life and have to alter your lifestyle.

Now imagine being 30 years old when you are diagnosed, and that too when you are a top sportsman. There are a lot of examples of athletes succeeding with diabetes, but it is not without its challenges, you require great mental strength to fight through.

I saw an interview few years ago where he credited his ex-wife, who was a psychologist, for helping him pull through.

We won't know how good he would have been without it, that's pure speculation, but the fact that he managed to play at the top level deep into his 30's was a remarkable achievement.

 

[Stallion__]

Diabetes is something, which we can't blame it on himself for the lack of fitness. It could have happened to any healthy person.
Thats why I have a great respect for him that he battled it out and remained a top bowler even that. Though he wasn't the same bowler as he used to be, he transformed himself into a steady medium pacer but yet an effective one.

He, I think was diagnosed with diabetes during SA series in 1997. Here are his stats before and after he was diagnosed.


Wasim Akram before being diagnosed with diabetes (Tests)

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/en...7;spanval2=span;template=results;type=bowling


Wasim Akram after being diagnosed with diabetes (Tests)

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/en...7;spanval1=span;template=results;type=bowling


Wasim Akram before being diagnosed with diabetes (ODIs)

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/en...7;spanval2=span;template=results;type=bowling


Wasim Akram after being diagnosed with diabetes (ODIs)

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/en...7;spanval1=span;template=results;type=bowling


True, maybe he could have achieved greater statistical heights had it not been diabetes.
I still don't think that has affected his legacy.

The fact the he is been rated as the best fast bowler of his generation despite having inferior record to many, shows that he do get the appreciation and admiration he deserves.

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

Wasim Bhai is Wasim Bhai.

One of the most (if not the most) iconic bowler of all times.

 

[Hitman]

Didn't know he has an infant daughter with his new wife, until I just now read of it on the net. Really happy for them.

 

[Thivagar]

Yes, completely agree. Having diabetes really did hamper Wasim's career to an extent just as Waqar Younis' was when his pinkie finger was cut in an accident.

Damn I never knew about this, just googled an image of his hand .

 

[Thivagar]

I never knew diabetes can make an actual impact in someone's life. Has anyone here has diabetes ?

 

[Markhor]

I never knew diabetes can make an actual impact in someone's life. Has anyone here has diabetes ?

No but my father has. Yes it definitely impacts someone's life, I think Wasim got Type 1 diabetes so symptoms would include feelings of dehydration, slow healing of cuts and bruises and loss of muscle bulk amongst other things.

For a professional athlete and a fast bowler it must be worse, especially for Wasim considering the hot, unforgiving conditions of the SC and the strain that he put on his body.

 

[last_knight]

I never knew diabetes can make an actual impact in someone's life. Has anyone here has diabetes ?

Not a diabetic but I treat diabetes .If that helps ?

 

[Slog]

I never knew diabetes can make an actual impact in someone's life. Has anyone here has diabetes ?

not to come off the wrong way but what exactly did you expect of a medical condition other than impacting someone's life? Why would it be an issue otherwise?

 

[last_knight]

No but my father has. Yes it definitely impacts someone's life, I think Wasim got Type 1 diabetes so symptoms would include feelings of dehydration, slow healing of cuts and bruises and loss of muscle bulk amongst other things.

For a professional athlete and a fast bowler it must be worse, especially for Wasim considering the hot, unforgiving conditions of the SC and the strain that he put on his body.

Type 1 Diabetes is what we call insulin dependent diabetes.Its onset is usually before the age of 25, although it is not uncommon to get Type 1 DM after the age of 25.
This type is a major concern if patient doesn't get diabetes education.Has to be managed by 3 or 4 daily injections of insulin thus present a high Risk of sugar level falling very low, a life threatening condition.On the other hand if you miss insulin for a day or so , it may lead to Diabetic Acidosis, another life threatening Condition.

Real concern is that 20-25 years of living with diabetes will eventually damage your kidneys , no matter how good you controlled your diabetes.Somehow this kidney issue is less troublesome for type 1 as compared to type 2 diabetes.

One will need a doctor advice to guide him/her through the fight against diabetes but Being a doctor , My message for anyone who has diabetes : " There is Only One person who can manage your diabetes , and that's You" .

 

[IndianWillow]

Merely living with any systemic disease is a great challenge, and to excel at any sport with this condition is phenomenal. Diabetes is a manageable condition (compared to say, systemic conditions like SLE) still it would have required high mental strength to deliver consistently. Mike Atherton played at a high level with a crippling medical condition called ankylosing spondylitis (an autoimmune disease that mainly causes a form of arthritis on the spine), but the disease cut short his career, so playing with a major illness is sometimes possible.

 

[last_knight]

not to come off the wrong way but what exactly did you expect of a medical condition other than impacting someone's life? Why would it be an issue otherwise?

Exactly . Statistical details are horrifying.Just to give insight : 50% of kidney failures ( and dialysis patients ) are because of Diabetes.
50% of leg Amputations ( Leg being Cut ) are because of diabetes.
Depression , Neuropathies , Heart Attacks , Paralysis , Blindness and many many more serious complications may develop.You name a complication and you will find diabetes in the list of causes.

 

[last_knight]

Merely living with any systemic disease is a great challenge, and to excel at any sport with this condition is phenomenal. Diabetes is a manageable condition (compared to say, systemic conditions like SLE) still it would have required high mental strength to deliver consistently. Mike Atherton played at a high level with a crippling medical condition called ankylosing spondylitis (an autoimmune disease that mainly causes a form of arthritis on the spine), but the disease cut short his career, so playing with a major illness is sometimes possible.

Talking of major illnesses , I think Robin Uthappa had Epilepsy.
Had Never heard of an epileptic sportsperson before.

 

[Slog]

Exactly . Statistical details are horrifying.Just to give insight : 50% of kidney failures ( and dialysis patients ) are because of Diabetes.
50% of leg Amputations ( Leg being Cut ) are because of diabetes.
Depression , Neuropathies , Heart Attacks , Paralysis , Blindness and many many more serious complications may develop.You name a complication and you will find diabetes in the list of causes.

so it most likely (iA no) will come back to haunt Wasim Akram.
anyway its mindboggling to take 4 insulin injections everyday like he does and maintain that under every circumstance knowing that you miss one you are being too risky for your own good.

I struggle to take meds on time if im sick and end up missing a few

 

[Thivagar]

not to come off the wrong way but what exactly did you expect of a medical condition other than impacting someone's life? Why would it be an issue otherwise?

I meant to say that I didn't know that you could actually feel the impact of it physically and mentally. I thought it was like cholesterol where you don't know whether it is high or not till you get checked and won't actually feel the impact of it physically or mentally.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Merely living with any systemic disease is a great challenge, and to excel at any sport with this condition is phenomenal. Diabetes is a manageable condition (compared to say, systemic conditions like SLE) still it would have required high mental strength to deliver consistently. Mike Atherton played at a high level with a crippling medical condition called ankylosing spondylitis (an autoimmune disease that mainly causes a form of arthritis on the spine), but the disease cut short his career, so playing with a major illness is sometimes possible.

I think it was Michael Slater who had ankylosing spondilitis.

 

[Belawal2014]

Damn I never knew about this, just googled an image of his hand .

Yep, it's what made him more inaccurate for which he gets a lot of criticism.

 

[Stallion__]

Yep, it's what made him more inaccurate for which he gets a lot of criticism.

Don't know how a loss of little finger on left hand made him inaccurate, that too even before his FC debut...

 

[Laal]

He should be on every Diabetes billboard there is.

 

[Belawal2014]

Don't know how a loss of little finger on left hand made him inaccurate, that too even before his FC debut...

Yes, losing a finger does make one more inaccurate as you have less control and grip over the ball. Maybe I shouldn't have wrote the word "more" and give the impression that it happened post his debut, but yeah...

 

[Belawal2014]

Don't know how a loss of little finger on left hand made him inaccurate, that too even before his FC debut...

Not to mention, you also lose 50% of your hand strength.

 

[Stallion__]

Yes, losing a finger does make one more inaccurate as you have less control and grip over the ball. Maybe I shouldn't have wrote the word "more" and give the impression that it happened post his debut, but yeah...

Not to mention, you also lose 50% of your hand strength.

You miss the point. Read it again.

Don't know how a loss of little finger on left hand made him inaccurate, that too even before his FC debut...

Google Azeem Hafeez. He was Pakistani pacer with 2 fingers missing in his bowling hand.

Don't make sense, Waqar could reverse the ball miles but can't be accurate.

Waqar not having a little finger in his non-bowling arm is not the same case as Wasim having diabetes.

 

[Belawal2014]

You miss the point. Read it again.




Google Azeem Hafeez. He was Pakistani pacer with 2 fingers missing in his bowling hand.

Don't make sense, Waqar could reverse the ball miles but can't be accurate.

Waqar not having a little finger in his non-bowling arm is not the same case as Wasim having diabetes.

woops my mistake, I thought he lost the one on his bowling arm.

 

[theariezman]

Damn I never knew about this, just googled an image of his hand .

Found a thread on pak passion as well.

http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/showthread.php?t=27936

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[MenInG]

A healthy diet is the guarantor of prosperous life. Creating awareness about appropriate diet among masses, which varies from person to person, is direly needed these days, said Wasim Akram, former captain of Pakistani cricket team and brand ambassador for Changing Diabetes in Pakistan, on Monday.

He was speaking at Fit4Health awareness campaign ceremony. The campaign was launched by Alliance for Diabetes and Liver Diseases (ADLD).

Wasim Akram said the more eating more is not an art all but to eat right food is actual art. “Right diet means which is suitable for his or her body”, he explained adding that while eating any food we should must keep in mind amount of calories, nutrition, fats, protein and other ingredients for instance, he added, there is 25 calories in one ‘Gulabjaman’ while majority of us are not know about this.

The event was attended by large number of audience including Principals and faculty Members of different private and government schools of twin cites. They were briefed about the importance of inculcating the concept of healthy living among school children from young age.

Wasim Akram suggested that instead of facing any kind disease you should evaluate diets carefully to find one that’s right for you. “Do so not tomorrow but today”, he said.

Besides this, he maintained, the usage of diets that eliminate fat or carbs or those that tout super foods is also equally necessary.

The former cricketer said that doctor’s advice in devising diet plan is also necessary. “And you can discuss with doctor how to exercise safely, especially if you have physical or medical challenges, or pain with daily tasks”, he suggested, adding that if you consider your preferences, lifestyle and weight-loss goals, you’ll likely find a plan you can tailor to your needs.

He said that skip a fad diet for the next few months and you should concentrate on filling your body with healthy food as a way of life. “Not only will eating these healthy foods aid in weight loss, but they will improve your overall health and wellbeing,” he added.

While highlighting the benefits of some fresh fruit, Wasim Akaram said that lemon is a very small item “This is very simple but versatile fruit. It goes way beyond anything you could imagine as far as a super food because it is a therapeutic citrus. One lemon has around 100 percent of your daily recommended intake of vitamin C”, he recalled adding that this fruit is an anti-inflammatory and cleanses the system from bad toxins in the body.

“If you drink a glass of warm lemon water each morning, you are setting your body up for a healthy digestive system and helping your immune system. It also works as a blood purifier. Lemons are positively full to the brim with calcium, potassium, pectin fiber, and other nutrients. Besides, one glass of juice has less than 25 calories”, he said.

Addressing the event, Chairperson ADLD, Prof. Dr Saleem Qureshi said, diabetes is a situation that needs to be addressed urgently as it poses a great burden on the economy of Pakistan. “An initiative like Fit4Health which focuses towards creating awareness among the youth, is certainly a step in the right direction”, he said.

The co-chair ADLD, Dr Musarrat Iqbal said that the objective of this collective initiative is to create awareness among students about adopting a healthy lifestyle from an early age to address the increasing trend of diabetes & obesity. Lifestyle modification, physical activity and healthy diet can delay or prevent onset of type 2 diabetes. We are already a little late”, she said.Fit4Health is running in collaboration with Novo Nordisk Pharma (Pvt) Ltd and endorsed by the Ministry of National Health Services Regulation and Coordination. Rashed Rafique Butt, Vice President and General Manager of Novo Nordisk Pharma (Pvt) Ltd was also present the event along with the Ambassador of Denmark to Pakistan, Mr Rolf M. Holmboe.

https://dailytimes.com.pk/551708/healthy-diet-guarantees-prosperous-life-wasim-daily-times/

 

[Robert]

I never knew diabetes can make an actual impact in someone's life. Has anyone here has diabetes ?

My wife had Type II but through dietary change and exercise has no need to take drugs now. Type I is very serious, people can lose limbs and go blind.

 

[Hyperion66]

I can't describe in words how much respect and admiration I have for this man. A champion on and off the field. An excellent ambassador of the game.

 

[happydavy]

Actually m quite surprised to read that he was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, i somehow assumed it was Type II, which is also serious but manageable disease. Type 1 is a different ball game all together, it can affect kidneys, eye sight, skin problems and even cause cardiovascular diseases. Wasim is an absolute champion to play cricket for so many years after being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.

 

[happydavy]

Somehow in his playing career, this wasn't talked much. It should have been repeated and commended by the commentators and the crowd every single time he came to bowl, its a massive achievement.

 

[happydavy]

Found a thread on pak passion as well.

http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/showthread.php?t=27936

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In that thread some poster has even written about how missing pinky finger in his left hand, helped him achieve better reverse swing. Is that guy still on PP? Can someone please arrange an interview with that PP legend?

 

[Waleed93]

The fact that he remained the greatest fast bowler of his generation even after getting diagnosed with diabetes speaks a lot about his mental strength and natural skill level.

 

[Ab Fan]

Absolutely. It was a major reason which is why he underachieved considering the skill and ability he possessed.

He would have gone on to become the greatest fast bowler of all-time rather than just be contend with the greatest fast bowler from Pakistan.

There was nothing he was short of- Talent, Mental Strength, big occasions, fear factor, aesthetics, popularity etc. The most iconic fast bowler of all-time.

 

[andy0204]

Still I consider him as the greatest bowler of all time,even though I liked Waqar and Akhtar more.

 

[troodon]

Absolutely. It was a major reason which is why he underachieved considering the skill and ability he possessed.

He would have gone on to become the greatest fast bowler of all-time rather than just be contend with the greatest fast bowler from Pakistan.

There was nothing he was short of- Talent, Mental Strength, big occasions, fear factor, aesthetics, popularity etc. The most iconic fast bowler of all-time.

100% Agreed.

That run up and bowling action was a treat to the eyes. He made bowling look so easy. An ATG and the best LOI bowler of all time in my book.

 

[King_Kohli]

wow.... Great determination and passion
Hats off Wasim