WASIM AKRAM - TYPE 1 DIABETIC!!!

Wasim Akram, described as the Prince of Pakistan, his skill with a cricket ball defied the laws of physics he has left an indelible mark as a supreme all-rounder and the best one-day international player in history.

Wasim was 30 when he was diagnosed with insulin-dependent diabetes.

“I remember what a shock it was because I was a healthy sportsman with no history of diabetes in my family whatsoever, so I didn’t expect it at all,” he recalls. “It seemed strange that it happened to me when I was 30, but it was a very stressful time and doctors said that can trigger it.”
"I lost about seven, eight kilograms in two or three months.I was drinking a lot of water, sleeping all the time, and I played the whole West Indies series in the same condition. And I thought, "I'm training, that's why I'm losing so much weight." But in the end, my father literally grabbed me and took me to the doctor and then he found my sugar level was very, very high."

“I felt down at first but my wife, who qualified as a psychiatrist at UCL, helped me come to terms with it. I would advise anyone with diabetes to think positive – adjust your lifestyle to fight it. Keeping fit and eating a very balanced diet have been crucial to keeping it under control and allowing me to continue playing. If you have control of your body, you're in control of diabetes. It's important that you check blood sugar levels before meals and go for regular check-ups.”


The six years he played cricket after being diagnosed a diabetic were some of the best cricketing years of his life. But he had to observe a strict regimen, particularly on match days, before batting or fielding, he'd make sure he had taken his insulin shot, and always kept a chocolate at hand, in case his sugar level fell below normal.

After the diagnosis he has taken active part in spreading awareness of diabetes, and has been a great role  model for those who suffer from it.