Umar Akmal Archives

Pakistan batter urges Mohammad Rizwan to change his batting style

Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter and ODI captain Mohammad Rizwan has recently been subject to sharp criticism from Test cricketer Umar Akmal.

Akmal believes the Multan Sultans skipper needs to evolve his game and mindset if he hopes to stage a meaningful comeback at the international level.

Speaking on a local TV channel, Akmal expressed concern over Rizwan’s approach in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10, suggesting that the right-hander appeared more focused on personal milestones than team success.

“It looks like [Mohammad] Rizwan is playing for a comeback. That’s not how comebacks happen,” Umar Akmal remarked.

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“Even if he scores just 20 runs, the team should win. If the team wins, selectors will automatically recognise his contributions.”

Akmal emphasised that selfless performances — those that directly contribute to victories — are what truly strengthen a player’s case for national selection.

“You cannot make a successful comeback by playing only for yourself,” he reiterated, underlining the importance of impact over individual stats.

Umar Akmal also urged Rizwan to improve his strike rate, warning that his place in the ODI setup could come under scrutiny if his current approach persists.

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“Even as captain, if Rizwan underperforms in one or two series, it will become very difficult for him moving forward,” Akmal added.

Critiquing the overall mindset of Pakistan’s limited-overs cricket, Akmal stressed the need to embrace modern-day aggression and set higher scoring benchmarks.

“In today’s cricket, aiming for just 200 or 250 isn’t enough. That era is gone. Unless teams score 350 in ODIs, they aren’t secure. Big totals are now essential to stay competitive,” he concluded.

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Umar Akmal reveals how Wahab Riaz reacted to his comeback plea

Veteran Pakistan batter Umar Akmal has made a fresh revelation about his attempts to return to the national setup, highlighting the reaction of former chief selector Wahab Riaz to his availability.

In an interview with a private TV channel, Akmal claimed that when he reached out to Wahab about a potential comeback, he was met with a surprising counter-question.

“I keep saying that I want to play, and I’m being asked if I appeared in trials,” Umar said.
“Wahab Riaz asked me, ‘Have you played trial matches?’ I was like, ‘What are you talking about?’ I told him that I am available,” he revealed

The right-hander, who last played for Pakistan in 2019 during a home series against Sri Lanka, expressed disappointment at being asked to go through trial matches, especially given his experience—16 Tests, 121 ODIs, and 84 T20Is for the country.

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It’s worth noting that recently, in another interview, Umar Akmal reignited his past criticism of Waqar Younis, revealing the kind of treatment he received even after performing well.

“I once scored a century in a Test match, and instead of being appreciated, Waqar bhai said, ‘You’ve started playing T20 cricket in Tests,’” he shared.

He added that after being dismissed in the second innings of that match, Waqar sarcastically commented, “Where’s your T20 cricket now?”

Akmal said remarks like these were disheartening and left a lasting impact on his confidence as a young cricketer.

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Umar Akmal defends Babar Azam over team spot debate

Pakistan cricketer Umar Akmal has defended ace batter Babar Azam amid the debate about his spot in the Pakistan cricket team.

While speaking on a podcast during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 matches, Akmal lost his cool over comments regarding Babar Azam’s place in the national cricket team.

When asked ‘Which player should not be on the national team?’ by the host, a guest on the podcast named Babar Azam,

Following the answer, Umar Akmal became furious and backed Babar.

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“Do you think you could say infront of him [Babar Azam]? Nobody knows you in Lahore, but the whole world knows who Babar Azam is. How could you say this?”, saik Umar Akmal

“I am really sorry to say this but you can’t talk like that. He is going through a rough patch currently, but he remained captain of Pakistan team for 5 years,” he said.

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It is pertinent to mention that Babar Azam has been struggling to score runs recently. The batter had a dismal run in the recently concluded ICC Champions Trophy, however, he had slight better performance in Pakistan tour of New Zealand.

The right-handed batter did not have the best start in the PSL as Peshawar Zalmi lost their opening two games.

The 30-year-old also failed to make an impact with the bat, returning with scores of 0 and 1.

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Umar Akmal reveals his role in helping Babar Azam counter spin bowling

Pakistan batter Umar Akmal has made a surprising assertion about assisting star batter Babar Azam in overcoming his difficulties against spin bowlers.

Babar has been under scrutiny lately, primarily due to his struggles against spinners, with a significant number of his recent dismissals coming against spin bowlers.

Several former cricketers have expressed concerns about Babar’s limited shot selection against spin.

In light of these challenges, Umar Akmal, during a recent interview with a private TV channel, recounted a moment when Babar sought his advice on how to handle spin successfully.

“I distinctly remember when he was having difficulties with spinners, getting out around midwicket. He came to me and said, ‘Umar bhai, I’m having a bit of trouble,'” Akmal shared.

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“I asked him about his grip on the bat and suggested that when facing a spinner, he should adjust his grip and keep his eyes on the ball until it’s halfway to him. From there, he could choose to cut it or play a shot that wouldn’t go flat,” he added.

Babar Azam, who was once celebrated for his prowess against spinners with an impressive average of 82.1 through the end of 2021, has seen that figure drop to around 48 in the years that followed.

In 2023, he had a strike rate of 77.7 against spin, which decreased to 68.4 the next year. By 2025, his strike rate plummeted to just 60.3, and he has been dismissed 20 times by spin within his last 39 innings.

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Sarfaraz Ahmed advises “talented” Umar Akmal, Ahmed Shehzad

Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed offered a piece of advice to senior batters Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal ahead of the Champions One-Day Cup, scheduled to run from September 12 to 29.

Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal, who made their respective debuts for Pakistan in 2009, were integral parts of the national team till 2016.

Their last appearance for the national team came in the three-match home T20I series against Sri Lanka in 2019.

Shehzad managed modest scores of four and 13 in the opening two T20Is of the home series respectively while Akmal even failed to score a run as he got out on back-to-back golden ducks.

The duo was subsequently dropped from the third T20I of the series and has not represented Pakistan since then.

Meanwhile, in a recent turn of events, Shehzad announced that he will boycott the upcoming Champions Cup.

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As a result, Dolphins’ mentor for the Champions Cup, Sarfaraz Ahmed advised the duo of Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal to decide if they want to play cricket.

“They should definitely play cricket but if they really want to. Firstly, they need to decide whether they want to play or not,” said Sarfaraz.

“I think both of them are immensely talented players, there’s no doubt about their talent. They played outstanding cricket for Pakistan but I think it’s their own decision,” he added.

Sarfaraz Ahmed then emphasized the need for experienced players in the team, asserting that the emerging players would make their place with time.

“There should be a combination of senior and junior players while playing cricket. We must remember that the senior player cemented his place with a lot of hard work,” Sarfaraz said.

“It has become a trend that ‘we need young players’. A youngster would cement his place by himself with performance,” he added.

READ: “Umar Akmal, Ahmed Shehzad were more talented than us,” Azhar Ali

Umar Akmal claims Misbah’s advice cost him wicket in 2011 semi-final

Pakistan’s middle-order batter Umar Akmal has claimed that former captain Misbah-ul-Haq’s advice to “rotate the strike” in the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2011 semi-final against arch-rivals India cost him his wicket.

Speaking at a private TV show, the right-handed batter recalled Pakistan’s World Cup campaign in 2011, under the captaincy of Shahid Afridi.

“We planned the whole World Cup. Shahid bhai was captain and we had rhythm from our previous matches,” he said.

Recalling his partnership with former skipper Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal revealed that he was middling the balls after getting set on the crease.

“As soon as I went in, I began getting balls which I could hit to my favourite areas. Misbah bhai was batting with me. When Harbhajan Singh came [to bowl], Misbah told me play him slowly and then start hitting in the next over,” he said.

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However, Akmal claimed that he insisted on going after the spin bowler as he felt that he could easily hit him over his head.

“But Misbah-ul-Haq said that we should not rush thing and keep rotating strike as the Indian bowlers were already under pressure,” said the wicketkeeping batter. “In doing so, I could not read his [Harbhajan Singh] arm bowl and was clean bowled.”

Pakistan were defeated in the semi-final after they were bowled out for 231 while chasing a target of 261 in 50 overs.

Opening batters Mohammad Hafeez and Kamran Akmal gave Pakistan a decent start of 44 in nine overs, however, they could not capitalise on it.

Umar Akmal and Misbah-ul-Haq built a partnership of 36 off 45 balls with the former contributing 29 off 24 balls while the latter added seven of 21 balls.

Haq was later involved in another partnership with then-skipper Shahid Afridi, however, he failed to finish the game for Pakistan and was the last batter to be dismissed as India qualified for the ODI World Cup 2011 final after defeating the Men in Green by 29 runs.

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“Umar Akmal, Ahmed Shehzad were more talented than us,” Azhar Ali

Former Pakistan captain Azhar Ali made a massive claim about Umar Akmal and Ahmed Shehzad as he termed the duo more talented than the rest of the players.

Ali, however, highlighted that their problem was they could not flourish in international cricket.

“Umar Akmal and Ahmad Shehzad were more talented than the rest of us. They just could not flourish in international cricket like they should have, stated Ali on a local sports channel.

He further blamed the then management for not handling them well. He maintained if Akmal and Shehzad had disciplinary issues then they should have been counselled.

“A bit of the responsibility and blame lies on the management. Did they utilise methods through which Akmal and Shehzad could have gotten better? And if they believed that the two players had other issues then they should have been counselled,” Azhar Ali concluded.

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Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal, who made their respective debuts for Pakistan in 2009, were integral parts of the national team till 2016.

Their last appearance, however, came in the three-match home T20I series against Sri Lanka in 2019.

Shehzad managed modest scores of four and 13 in the opening two T20Is of the home series respectively while Akmal even failed to score a run as he got out on back-to-back golden ducks.

The duo was subsequently dropped from the third T20I of the series and has not represented Pakistan since then.

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Umar Akmal heroics inspire WAPDA to beat HEC in President’s Trophy

KARACHI: Umar Akmal’s sensational 84-run knock in the second innings powered the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) to secure a four-wicket win over the Higher Education Commission (HEC) in the second round of the President’s Trophy.

Umar Akmal scored back-to-back fifties in the game to inspire his team to second win of the tournament. Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines (SNGPL) had won their respective games the previous day.

WAPDA continued from their overnight score of 114-4. They lost two more wickets while chasing the 220-run target. Umar Akmal (85, 203b, 10x4s) and Ayaz Tasawar (65, 125b, 10x4s) stretched their fifth-wicket partnership to 98 before the former fell to Aqib Liaqat.

Bismillah Khan (17 not out, 22b, 2x4s, 1×6) hit the winning runs as WAPDA got home with two sessions remaining and four wickets in the bag.

HEC’s Mohammad Junaid picked up three wickets to keep his team in the game but it went in vain. Aqib Liaqat also bagged two wickets while Mohammad Azab’s lone wicket came on day three.

At the end of the second round, WAPDA skipper Iftikhar Ahmed is leading the batting chart with 386 runs while his fellow teammate Asif Afridi sits on top of the leading wicket taker’s list having taken 11 wickets.

The third round of the tournament will kick off on 28 December.

On the third day of the second round of the President’s Trophy Grade-I, Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines (SNGPL) won their games as they beat Ghani Glass and Pakistan Television (PTV) respectively.

KRL sealed a memorable victory against Ghani Glass as they won by just one wicket while chasing 123 in the dying moments of day three. KRL’s pursuit of 123 had faltered at the start when they were reduced to 67-6.

Their last four batters, Kashif Ali (30 not out, 40b, 2x4s, 1×6), Shayan Sheikh (9, 11b, 1×4), Sirajuddin (5, 14b) and Arshadullah (8 not out, 25b, 1×4) faced a combined total of 100 balls and added 52 vital runs to the total.

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Kashif Ali top-scored for KRL while batting at number eight. He spent crucial time in the middle making sure his team ekes out the win while wickets fell on the other end at regular intervals.

Ghulam Mudassar and Niaz Khan’s four wicket-hauls went in vain as the Ghani Glass bowling attack failed to pick up the last wicket.

In another second-round President’s Trophy fixture, SNGPL beat PTV by eight wickets to register their first win of the tournament.

PTV started their second innings from the overnight score of 66-0. Both opening batters, Hasan Nawaz (69, 92b, 9x4s) and Nasir Nawaz (62, 100b, 9x4s, 1×6), struck fluent half-centuries taking the opening partnership to 130.

Leg-spinner, Arif Yaqoob, who registered the figures of 10-177 in his maiden first-class appearance, enforced PTV’s collapse when he got Nasir out.

Soon, he dismissed skipper Uzair Mumtaz and Daniyal Hussain Rajput for ducks. Hasan Mohsin (21, 29b, 4x4s) and Taimur Khan (7, 25b, 1×4) resisted for a while, before the team was dismissed for 189.

Arif bagged six wickets. Mohammad Ali returned with two scalps while Bilawal Bhatti and Mohammad Awais Anwar picked up one wicket each.

SNGPL chased PTV’s target of 85 in 21 overs with eight wickets in hand. Sahibzada Farhan (51, 61b, 4x4s, 4x6s) struck a fine half-century to direct the chase. SNGPL will now face the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on 28 December at SBP Stadium.

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Umar Akmal ‘ready’ to represent Pakistan again if given chance

LAHORE: Experienced middle-order batter Umar Akmal on Tuesday, stated that he is willing to represent the Pakistan cricket team again if given the opportunity.

Umar Akmal spoke to the media here and shared that he is still making hard yards to earn his return to the national side by working on his fitness and skills.

“I am training continuously, due to the ongoing camp in the academy I am training in Qadir Academy which my father-in-law built,” he shared.

“With cricket, fitness is very important to focus on so I am training hard and spend the whole day doing so.

“Of course, I am ready to play for Pakistan again if given a chance,” he responded to a question.

Umar Akmal also commented about him potentially playing in the upcoming Lanka Premier League (LPL) and stated that it depends on the franchises whether they pick him or not but expressed optimism to perform well.

“It is up to them to sign me for Lanka Premier League if they do I will give my hundred percent,” said Akmal.

Umar Akmal then went on to comment on the specialised camp for spinners, currently underway at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and extended his well wishes to all the participants.

“Players are working really hard in the camp. I have personally watched them making efforts in this hot weather,” he said.

“I hope that these players get rewarded for their hard work,” he concluded.

It is pertinent to mention that Umar Akmal last donned Pakistan jersey in 2019 in the T20I against Sri Lanka at Gaddafi Stadium here.

He remained a regular part of the Pakistan men’s cricket team from his debut – in 2009 – to 2016. He represented Pakistan in 16 Tests, 121 ODIs and 84 T20Is, piling up 5887 runs across formats with the help of three centuries and 34 half-centuries.

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Sarfaraz backs ‘talented’ Umar Akmal despite consistent failures

KARACHI: Quetta Gladiators’ captain has put his weight behind Umar Akmal despite his consecutive batting failures in the ongoing PSL season 8.

“Umar Akmal is a very talented cricketer,” said Sarfaraz in a post-match press conference after Quetta Gladiators beat Karachi Kings on Saturday.

“Every player has to go through such good and bad phases,” he said about Akmal who scored 11 and 4, respectively in the first two matches of the PSL 8. “If he can spend a bit more time on the crease, it will definitely help us.”

Talking about his hard-fought win last night, Sarfaraz gave full credit to his fast bowlers for drifting the game away from Karachi Kings in the death overs.

“Credit goes to Naseem and Hasnain, the way they bowled 18th and 19th over. We played superbly with both bat and ball in the last five overs of each inning,” he said.

When asked whether he would make any changes to the team after consecutive batting failure, Gladiators’ captain believed that their batting combination looked perfect and he would rather give some time to his batters to settle in.

“Out top-order is known for playing aggressive cricket. We have given them the plan according to their strengths. As you all know, the way Jason Roy played last year. He and others will definitely make a comeback in the upcoming matches,” he maintained.

Quetta will next play Peshawar Zalmi on Monday at National Bank Cricket Arena in Karachi.

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