Road Rage: Gunman Opens Fire At Pakistani Cricketer Wasim Akram Following Dispute

Wasim Akram, the former captain of the Pakistani cricket team and a popular cricket commentator, had a lucky escape after a gunman opened fire at his car on Wednesday. According to the Express Tribune Pakistan, the gunfire was the result of a minor accident which led to what now police say was a case of road rage. The incident happened in Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, when Akram was on his way in his Mercedes towards the National Stadium. He was attending a 12-day training camp organized by him to help upcoming fast bowlers in the cricket crazy city

Speaking to reporters after the incident, Wasim Akram said his car was hit from behind by another vehicle and sped away. Akram followed the car and asked the driver to pull up so that he could assess the damage done to his Mercedes. The driver of the other car, however, was in no mood to listen. Finally, Akram managed to overtake the car and block the errant car’s passage. After the vehicle was stopped, Akram saw an armed man getting out of the rear seat of the car. The man had a gun with him and fired a few shots at Akram’s car and then fled the spot. A shocked Akram could not do much except for watch what happened – in disbelief.

“It’s a road rage incident which can happen anywhere in the world, be it Australia, England or the USA, but taking out a gun isn’t the way to settle any issue.”

He further added that he is confident the gunman would be nabbed.

“I’ve reported the matter to the police and I believe the security agencies here are very professional, so they will take care of the issue. I’m safe and everything is perfectly fine. The IGP (Inspector General Of Police), DIG (Deputy Inspector General) and other senior officials spoke to me and I have informed all of them. I trust the police will arrest him soon.”, Wasim told media persons.

According to officer Abid Qaimkhani of the Gulshan-e-Iqbal division of the police, the incident is most definitely a case of road rage and there are no indications of this being a pre-planned attack.

Wasim Akram is considered among the greatest of fast bowlers to have ever lived and is a huge celebrity across the Indian subcontinent. After his retirement from International Cricket, Akram has been active as a commentator and an analyst.

[Image Via Wikimedia Commons]