Wasim Akram’s wife buried in Lahore

KARACHI - Tributes poured in for Wasim Akram’s wife, Huma, who was buried in her hometown Lahore Monday. She was 42.

A large number of former Pakistan Test cricketers, senior Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials, dignitaries of the city and Wasims fans attended the funeral.

Saeed Anwar, a former Pakistan captain and ex-teammate of Wasim, led the funeral prayers. Also in attendance were Ijaz Butt, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, Moin Khan, Ijaz Ahmed, Zakir Khan among others.

Huma died Sunday at a Chennai hospital after battling it out for five days. She was afflicted with sepsis, a disease in which the tissues of the body are affected. Blood becomes affected too and it finally leads to renal failure.

Huma was being taken to Singapore for treatment from her home in Lahore in an air ambulance. Heart and kidney complications arose while she was being flown. She had to be taken to the hospital in Chennai when the plane stopped there for refuelling.

Huma and Wasim studied together and knew each other since 1986. They went out for a few years before tying the knot in 1993 when Wasim was at the peak of his career. They were easily among the best known couples in Pakistan.

Huma was a trained psychotherapist. During Wasims captaincy, she was appointed the psychological counsellor of the team. Huma leaves behind their two sons Taimur and Akram.

Her untimely death is a huge loss for her family and her friends. All of us will miss her, said Zaheer Abbas, a former Pakistan captain.

Inzamam said that he and his former teammates were all aggrieved as they had known Huma from their playing days. She was like a sister to all of us, said Inzamam.