Wasim Akram reveals Shah Rukh Khan offered him a coaching job with Kolkata Knight Riders after his rehabilitation for cocaine addiction. He was part of KKR coaching setup from 2008 to 2015.
Former Pakistan pace bowling legend Wasim Akram revealed a job offered by Shah Rukh Khan after undergoing rehabilitation for his addiction to cocaine. Shah Rukh Khan is the co-owner of Kolkata Knight Riders, which he bought along with actress Juhi Chawla and her husband Jay Mehta in 2008.
Kolkata Knight Riders emerged as the second-most successful teams in the IPL history with titles in 2012, 2014, and 2024. In the last IPL season, KKR ended their 10-year IPL drought, defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final at Chepauk. Even after 17 years, Shah Rukh Khan not only continues to remain the co-owner of Kolkata Knight Riders but also plays an active and inspiring role in the franchise’s success.
However, Wasim Akram has a connection with Shah Rukh Khan and Kolkata Knight Riders and in his memoir ‘Sultan’ revealed how the Bollywood superstar gave him first job at KKR.
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Wasim Akram on cocaine addiction
In his autobiography ‘Sultan’, Wasim Akram opened up on how he was dependent on cocaine after his retirement from his illustrious cricketing career and how it took a toll on his life.
“It started innocuously enough when I was offered a line at a party in England, but my use grew steadily more serious, to the point that I felt I needed it to function. It made me volatile. It made me deceptive,” former Pakistan pacer wrote.
Akram further revealed that his first wife Huma, who passed away in 2009, wanted to move to Karachi to be closer to her family as the couple was spending majority of their time in Lahore and Manchester. However, the pace bowling legend would not let her go as he often travelled to her hometown on the pretext of work and instead spent his time partying all day.
Akram on his rehabilitation for cocaine addiction
Wasim Akram was caught by his wife for cocaine and was asked to go to a rehabilitation centre in Lahore. However, Akram revealed that the doctor at Lahore’s rehabilitation centre was a conman who was manipulating the families rather than genuinely helping the patients to recover from the addiction.
“Movies conjure up an image of rehab as a caring, nurturing environment. This facility in Lahore was brutal: a bare building with five cells, a meeting room and a kitchen,” Akram wrote in memoir.
“He was a con man who worked primarily on manipulating families rather than treating patients and was charging over Rs 2 lakh per week.” he added.
How Shah Rukh Khan’s KKR offered Wasim Akram as a job?
While he was spending his time at the rehabilitation centre in Lahore, Wasim Akram did not have any job in hand after retiring from his cricketing career. However, Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders approached him and offered him a coaching job after he was out of the rehabilitation centre.
“Once out, I tried to keep calm, to get centred. Shah Rukh Khan offered me an attractive job as the bowling coach at Kolkata Knight Riders – my first senior coaching role anywhere.” Akram wrote in his memoir ‘Sultan’.
In 2010, Wasim Akram joined Kolkata Knight Riders as a bowling coach and groomed Indian pacers Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav. He played a role in getting KKR signed Mohammad Irfan in the IPL. Wasim Akram continued as the bowling coach at KKR till 2015 before Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) banned Pakistan players from participating in the Indian Premier League due to political tensions between two neighbouring nations after the 2008 Mumbai Terror Attack.
Wasim Akram also plied his trade as a bowling coach for Islamabad United for two seasons in 2016 and 2017 before working as a director and bowling coach for Multan Sultans. Wasim Akram is currently serving as the president of Karachi Kings.