My devices turned into vices; I developed a dependency on cocaine: Wasim Akram

Bengaluru, Oct. 29: In his upcoming autobiography Sultan: A Memoir, former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram opened up about being addicted to cocaine after he retired from the sport.

As reported in The Times, and from excerpts from his autobiography, Akram went on to add that he took cocaine while working as a television expert.

Akram's international career spanned over 18 years. Following his retirement, the former legend continued his association with the sport as he travelled across the world on coaching assignments and as a commentator.

Opening up about his cocaine addiction, Akram said, the habit began after his playing days when he started to crave a "substitute for the adrenaline rush of the competition. The former Pakistani legend went on to add that after the death of his first wife Huma in 2009, his addiction ended.

In the extracts of the book, which was published alongside an interview in The Times, Akram wrote, "I liked to indulge myself; I liked to party. The culture of fame in south Asia is all consuming, seductive and corrupting. You can go to ten parties a night, and some do. And it took its toll on me. My devices turned into vices. Worst of all, I developed a dependence on cocaine.

"It started innocuously enough when I was offered a line at a party in England; my use grew steadily more serious, to the point that I felt I needed it to function. It made me volatile. It made me deceptive. Huma, I know, was often lonely in this time... she would talk of her desire to move to Karachi, to be nearer her parents and siblings. I was reluctant. Why? Partly because I like going to Karachi on my own, pretending it was work when it was actually about partying, often for days at a time," wrote Akram.

"Huma eventually found me out, discovering a packet of cocaine in my wallet . . . 'You need help.' I agreed. It was getting out of hand. I couldn't control it. One line would become two, two would become four; four would become a gram, a gram would become two. I could not sleep. I could not eat. I grew inattentive to my diabetes, which caused me headaches and mood swings. Like a lot of addicts, part of me welcomed discovery: the secrecy had been exhausting," continued Akram.

Akram added that Huma's 'last selfless act' was to cure him of his drug problem. Akram, who is Pakistan's leading wickettaker in both Test and ODI cricket, retired from the sport in 2003.