‘They kept me there for two and a half months against my will’ - Wasim Akram opens up on forced rehab following cocaine addiction

Pakistan’s legendary seamer Wasim Akram has shed light on one of the darker phases of his life when he was addicted to cocaine and had to come out of it after his first wife’s (Huma Mufti) advice. Akram played a total of 104 Tests and 356 ODIs between the period from 1984 to 2003 and is considered to be among the best fast bowlers to have played the game.  

Akram mentions in his new book named 'Sultan: A Memoir' how he was addicted to cocaine to a point that he could not socialise without it when he stayed in England. Speaking about it he added that he was forced against his will to rehabilitate for a period of two and a half months. The former Pakistan captain concluded that he came out with forceful emotions after the rehab and perceived himself as a “rebellion.” 

“In England, somebody at a party said 'you wanna try it?' I was retired, I said ‘yea’h. Then one line became a gram. I came back to Pakistan. Nobody knew what it was but it was available. I realised, I couldn't function without it, which means I couldn't socialise without it. It got worse and worse. My kids were young. I was hurting my late wife a lot. We would have arguments. She said I need help.” Akram writes in his autobiography. 

“She said there's a rehab, you can go there. I said alright I will go there for a month but they kept me there for two and a half months against my will. Apparently, that is illegal in the world but not in Pakistan. That didn't help me. When I came out, a rebellion came into me. It's my money, I stayed in that horrible place against my will."  

It was very very tough, a horrible time says Wasim Akram  

Akram mentions that it wasn’t like the rehabilitation centres in Hollywood movies and noted the place did not have any lawns nor any gym. He explained the atmosphere of the deserted rooms in Pakistan and added that it was a tough time.  

"In western movies, even in Australia you see rehabs have lovely big lawns, people give lectures, you go to gym. But I went to a place (in Pakistan) with a corridor and eight rooms, that's it. It was very very tough. It was a horrible time."