Sultan of swing Wasim Akram has finally responded to the viral photos of a statue erected in his honour at Hyderabad's Niaz Stadium, and he did it with humour and class.

 

The statue, unveiled a while ago, went viral after photos appeared online, showing that the figure looked nothing like Wasim Akram. The statue then launched a storm of memes as the internet convulsed with laughter at the questionable tribute to the great bowler. 

 

Sharing a photo of his statue alongside a sculpture of a very funny looking tiger, the former cricketer wrote, "Lots of talk about my sculpture being erected at Niaz Stadium Hyderabad. Mine is definitely better than the tiger. Btw it's the idea that matters. Credit to the creators & full marks for the effort and thanks to everyone involved…"

 

Lots of talk about my sculpture being erected at Naiz stadium Hyderabad “Mine is definitely better than the tiger”, btw it’s the idea that matters credit to the creators & full marks for the effort and thanks to everyone involved… pic.twitter.com/Eb6aOmpWH5

— Wasim Akram (@wasimakramlive) June 12, 2025

 

The tiger sculpture, another viral statue which looks more like a dog than a mighty predator, became part of the joke as fans compared the two. Akram's response quickly went viral, with many appreciating his lighthearted and positive attitude.

 

Earlier, the statue showing Wasim Akram in his signature left-arm bowling action, wearing the 1999 World Cup jersey, had become meme material online. Although it was officially unveiled in April 2025, the photo only started circulating on social media recently, drawing strong reactions from fans.

 

Many cricket lovers felt the statue did not resemble Akram at all. Some compared it to poorly made wax figures, while others jokingly called it fan art gone wrong.

 

One user even joked that the statue looked like "Wasim Akram before he made it to the national team," while another called it the "Temu version" of the legendary bowler.

 

Despite the criticism, Akram's graceful and humorous response has won over fans.