Wasim Akram Pelts Stones at Devil in Iconic Bowling Action With Trademark Celebration — And the Internet Can't Get Enough
By Sayed Abdullah | May 28, 2026
- The viral Hajj moment that has everyone talking
- Why Wasim Akram's stone-throwing looks exactly like his bowling
- Other Pakistani celebrities performing Hajj this year
- What this says about the Sultan of Swing's enduring legacy
Some images are so perfectly, unmistakably *them* that you can't help but smile. Wasim Akram, the Sultan of Swing, standing at the Jamarat in Mina, Saudi Arabia, performing the ritual stoning of the devil — and doing it with exactly the same side-on action, the same whip of the left arm, the same follow-through that terrorised batsmen for nearly two decades. The video has gone viral, and honestly, it's the most Wasim Akram thing that has ever happened outside a cricket ground.
He's in Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj, fulfilling a spiritual obligation that millions of Muslims undertake each year. But even in the midst of one of the most solemn acts of worship, that muscle memory — the thing that made him arguably the greatest left-arm fast bowler in history — simply refused to stay hidden. He picked up the pebbles, set himself, and delivered. Not a 90-mile-an-hour yorker this time, just seven small stones. But the action was unmistakable, and the celebration afterward — arms raised, that familiar, slightly mischievous grin — was pure Akram.
The Video That Took Over Social Media
The clip, which appears to have been recorded by a fellow pilgrim or a companion, shows Akram standing among the crowd at the Jamarat bridge. As he prepares to throw, his body automatically shifts into that classic side-on position — the left shoulder pointing toward the target, the right arm tucked, the weight transferring from back foot to front. The pebbles leave his hand, and for a split second, you're not watching a man performing a religious ritual. You're watching a fast bowler who took 916 international wickets, who made the ball talk in ways physics still struggles to explain, and who simply cannot switch off the athlete inside him.
After the throws, he turns to the camera, arms aloft, grinning broadly. It's the same celebration that followed countless wickets — at Lord's, at the MCG, at Eden Gardens, at the Gaddafi Stadium. The internet, predictably, has responded with pure delight. "Even the devil couldn't pick that one," one comment read. Another: "Wasim bhai still getting reverse swing with pebbles." The humor is affectionate, but it carries a deeper recognition: that some talents are so deeply ingrained they become part of who you are, even in the most sacred of settings.
Hajj and the Sporting Fraternity
Wasim Akram is not alone in performing Hajj this year. Several other former cricketers and showbiz celebrities have also made the pilgrimage, their presence at the holy sites adding a layer of public fascination to the deeply personal spiritual journey. In Pakistani culture, the sight of public figures undertaking Hajj carries a particular resonance — a reminder that beneath the fame, the records, and the celebrity, there are private souls seeking the same forgiveness and renewal as everyone else.
The Jamarat ritual, in which pilgrims throw pebbles at three stone pillars, symbolises the rejection of evil and temptation. For Akram, whose life has seen both extraordinary triumphs and well-documented personal struggles, the symbolism is not lost on those who have followed his career. He has been open about the challenges he has faced off the field — his late wife's illness and death, his own health battles, the pressures of a life lived in the public eye. To see him standing at Mina, performing the same rituals as millions of ordinary believers, is a reminder that the greatest of careers are still, in the end, human stories.
A Legacy That Transcends Cricket
There is a reason this video has resonated so deeply, beyond the obvious charm of seeing a sporting legend in an unexpected setting. Wasim Akram occupies a particular place in Pakistan's national consciousness. He is not merely a former cricketer. He is one of those rare figures — like Imran Khan, like Abdul Qadir — whose brilliance on the field became part of the country's identity during a period when Pakistan needed heroes. His yorkers, his inswingers, his ability to make the ball reverse at impossible angles — these are not just sporting memories. They are cultural touchstones, shared across generations.
For younger Pakistanis who were not old enough to watch him play live, the video offers a glimpse of the man behind the legend — not on a cricket field, not in a commentary box, but in a moment of genuine, unguarded joy. The bowling action they've only seen in grainy YouTube compilations appears suddenly in the most human of contexts, and it bridges the gap between the myth and the man. He is older now, his hair greyer, but that left arm still knows exactly what to do when something needs to be thrown.
There is also something fitting about the fact that this moment occurred during Hajj. The pilgrimage is, at its core, an act of submission — a stripping away of status, wealth, and ego before God. Every pilgrim wears the same simple white cloth. Every pilgrim performs the same rituals. And yet, even in that great equalisation, Wasim Akram could not help but be Wasim Akram. Not out of arrogance, but out of the sheer physical memory that decades of elite sport had burned into his body. The stone-throwing became a bowling action because that is what his body has always known. It is, in its own way, a form of sincerity — the body telling the truth about who you are, even when you're standing before God.
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Did you see the Wasim Akram Hajj video? What did you make of that iconic bowling action making an appearance at the Jamarat? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Sayed Abdullah is the founder of Prime Pakistan. Based in Karachi, he writes about cricket, culture, and the stories that connect Pakistanis across generations. Read more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Where is Wasim Akram performing Hajj?
A: He is in Saudi Arabia, performing the Hajj pilgrimage. The video was recorded at the Jamarat in Mina, where pilgrims stone the devil.
Q: What is the significance of the Jamarat ritual?
A: The stoning of the Jamarat symbolises the rejection of evil and temptation. Pilgrims throw pebbles at three stone pillars as part of the Hajj rites.
Q: Which other Pakistani celebrities are performing Hajj this year?
A: Several former cricketers and showbiz personalities are also performing Hajj, though specific names have not been widely reported.
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