Wasim Akram's statue at Hyderabad's Niaz Stadium disappoints fans

HYDERABAD: The crafting of Pakistan’s legendary left-arm pacer Wasim Akram’s statue, placed here at the Niaz Stadium, has come under criticism due to its unlikeness.

The sculpture depicts the left-arm pacer in his trademark bowling style, donning Pakistan’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 1999 jersey.

The statue was unveiled in April 2025 but became the centre of fans’ attention earlier today when its picture went viral on social media, leading to fans’ outburst over the World Cup-winning player’s face.

“Wasim Akram as modelled by Sylvester Stallone,” a user wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Another user shared a picture of Akram during his time with the Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Karachi Kings in which the legend looked visibly upset over his team’s performance, captioned “Wasim Akram right now”.

While many users turned the statue's picture into memes, one user advised the former cricketer to update it by himself.

Wasim, who represented Pakistan from 1984 to 2003, took the highest 414 Test wickets and 502 wickets in ODI formats. He is regarded as one of the finest bowlers Pakistan has ever produced.

He also played a pivotal role in Pakistan’s only 50-over World Cup triumph in 1992 as he finished as the leading wicket-taker of the tournament with 18 scalps in 10 innings at an impressive average of 18.77.

He then led the national team to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 1999 final, where they suffered a gruelling defeat against eventual champions Australia.