Wasim Akram Threw Stones at the Devil Like He Was Bowling at Lord's — And We All Smiled
By Sayed Abdullah | May 28, 2026
- The Hajj video that broke the internet
- Why his stone-throwing looks exactly like his bowling
- Other celebs performing Hajj this year
- The larger story of a legend aging, but never fading
Yaar, I must've watched that video twenty times by now. Not because it's dramatic — it really isn't. It's just a guy throwing pebbles. But that guy is Wasim Akram, and when he reaches back to hurl those stones at the Jamarat, his body does what it has always done for the last forty years. The left arm drops. The side-on action kicks in. The pebbles leave his hand, and for a split second you're not watching a pilgrim in Mina — you're watching the Sultan of Swing, and you half expect the stones to start reversing towards the pillar.
MashaAllah, what a moment. Pure, unfiltered Akram bhai.
The Internet Lost It — In the Best Way
The video surfaced a couple of days ago, and the Pakistani internet honestly did what it does best — it turned a sacred moment into a celebration of everything we love about the man. "Even shaitaan didn't pick that one," one comment read. Another said, "Bhai ne Jamarat pe bhi reverse swing karwa di." And look, it's funny, but there's no mockery here. It's affection. It's the recognition that some people are so gifted, so iconic, that even their prayers look like a highlight reel.
After the throws, he turns to the camera with that grin — the same one he had after bowling a batsman through the gate. Arms up, a little swagger, a little joy. You can't help but smile back. This is a man who gave this country some of its greatest cricketing memories, and now he's giving us something else: a reminder that the best parts of us don't disappear when we stand before God. They just show up in a different form.
I've been watching cricket since I was a kid. Sitting on the floor in front of a small TV in Karachi, praying for another wicket. Wasim Akram was a big reason why I fell in love with the game. His spells against India, his yorkers to tailenders, that 1992 World Cup — those aren't just sporting moments. They're part of Pakistan's emotional furniture. And seeing him now, grey-haired, standing at Mina, still making us talk — yaar, it hits different. It makes you realize how much of our collective memory is tied up in people like him.
Hajj and the Sporting Crowd
Wasim isn't the only famous face performing Hajj this year. Several other ex-cricketers and showbiz people are also there, doing their own private thing. But the reason his video hit differently, I think, is because it captured something real. He didn't plan it. He didn't pose for it. Someone just caught him being himself — a fast bowler who can't switch off the fast bowler, even when he's pelting stones at a symbol of evil.
And honestly? There's something beautiful about that. Islam doesn't ask you to erase who you are. It asks you to submit. Wasim Akram, the cricketer, submitted. Wasim Akram, the competitor, submitted. But the left arm? That still belongs to the Sultan. The muscle memory of a thousand wickets doesn't disappear just because you've changed your clothes and entered a state of ihram.
I remember a friend telling me once that watching Wasim bowl was like watching a magician. You knew the ball was going to do something extraordinary, but you still couldn't predict it. That same unpredictability is what made him dangerous. And somehow, even at the Jamarat, that unpredictability — that spark — was still visible. Not in arrogance. In joy. He was doing something millions of Muslims do every year, and he was doing it with the same enthusiasm he brought to every single delivery. That's rare. That's special.
A Legacy That Goes Beyond Numbers
Look, Wasim Akram's numbers speak for themselves. 916 international wickets. A World Cup winner. Countless match-winning spells. But numbers don't capture what he meant. He was the first left-arm fast bowler to really dominate world cricket. He made reverse swing mainstream. He carried Pakistan's attack through the nineties when the batting was often fragile and the fielding was, let's be honest, questionable. He was the guy who could win a match from absolutely nowhere, and he did it again and again.
And yet, beyond all that, he's also been deeply human. His late wife Huma, her illness, his own health scares, his struggles — he has never hidden them. He's been open about the difficult parts of his life, and that openness has only made people love him more. Seeing him at Hajj, a place where everyone is equal, where all the worldly achievements are left behind, is a reminder that beneath the legend, there's just a man. A man with grey hair and a dodgy shoulder, standing in the heat, throwing pebbles at a pillar, and grinning like he just bowled a perfect inswinger.
For the younger generation who never saw him play live, this video might be their first real introduction to the Sultan. They've heard the stories, watched the YouTube compilations, but they've never seen him in motion — until now. And what they're seeing is the same thing we saw in the nineties: a man whose body simply knows how to throw, whether it's a cricket ball or a pebble, whether it's at Lord's or at Mina. The action hasn't changed. The joy hasn't changed. And honestly, neither has the affection of the people watching.
🔗 Also Read: Salman Agha Being Considered for Pakistan Test Captain Role
Did you see the video? And be honest — did you also think the pebbles were going to swing? Tell me in the comments. I'd love to hear from older fans who remember his prime.
Sayed Abdullah is the founder of Prime Pakistan. Based in Karachi, he writes about cricket, culture, and the stuff that makes this country feel like home. Read more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Where was the video recorded?
A: At the Jamarat in Mina, Saudi Arabia, during the Hajj pilgrimage.
Q: What is the significance of stoning the Jamarat?
A: It's a ritual that symbolises rejecting evil and temptation.
Q: Are other Pakistani celebrities performing Hajj this year?
A: Yes, several former cricketers and showbiz personalities are also there.
0 Comments