When Pakistani cricketer Umran Akmal heard that letters had been sent to the captain of his home team requesting that the 32-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman not be used, he experienced an emotional reaction.
Pakistan’s cricketing structure has undergone a number of shifts over the past few years, including changes to the men’s team captaincy and the departure and return of Najam Sethi as chairman.
Last year, former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja was abruptly fired. The Pakistan squads were cut and changed across formats, and many key players were left off.
Before making a triumphant comeback against New Zealand last month, Sarfaraz Ahmed had not only lost his leadership position but also struggled to find a spot in Test XI.
Umar Akmal, a wicketkeeper-batsman who has played for Pakistan in 16 Tests, 121 ODIs, and 84 T20Is, is the only player who has not played for the team for more than three years.
Akmal received a suspension in 2020 for failing to report spot-fixing techniques during the fifth Pakistan Super League. The Pakistan Cricket Board also gave him a ban.
Umar has since apologized and returned to the country’s domestic team. But he has not been consistently given opportunities to play first-class cricket. However, he did represent Northern Pakistan in the 2022 List A tournament.
Raza Ali Dar, a Pakistani cricketer who had led Akmal during a domestic tournament. Was asked not to play the 32-year-old wicketkeeper-batter for unknown reasons. According to Akmal’s interview with Pakistani journalist Hafiz Muhammad Imran.
An emotional Akmal drew parallels between his struggles and those of India’s great batting player Virat Kohli in response to the revelation.
I’m very embarrassed that Raza said that in such a direct way. He should have gotten the names of the people who called or wrote to say that I shouldn’t be played.
I don’t deserve this treatment because I have given so much to Pakistan. Akmal stated, “The PCB’s job is to help their players through difficult times.”
Virat Kohli is a good illustration of this. When he was unable to perform, he was not sidelined. He was not informed that your cricket was over as they continued to play him randomly. Akmal said, “I’ll give credit to the Indian Cricket Board for supporting him.”
Midway through 2022, Kohli went through a rough patch and even took a month off from the game. However, the former India captain made a fantastic comeback in September’s Asia Cup.
Where he also ended his three-year absence without scoring a century for the international team. The India batsman went on to score three more centuries in ODIs since then.