Kamran Akmal - Is he the worst wicket keeper of "em all?
It doesn’t take the genius of Sherlock Holmes, the greatest detective of all, to find out the flaws in the Pakistan cricket side which has been on the decline ever since winning the T20 World Cup last year. They have changed captains, played with different sets of openers, dropped, sacked and recalled senior batsmen and even tried different combinations of bowlers but their fate has not changed. Moreover they haven’t even thought of taking action against the most obvious of culprits, the wicket keeper batsman Kamran Akmal who continues to play as if it’s his birth right to represent the country and contribute to its losses!
He drops catches that even a club cricketer would not dare to, he misses run outs that even a blind cricketer will not miss yet Kamran Akmal continues to be part of the cricket setup for no reason. When he made his debut after the World Cup in 2003, he was seen as a saviour because his predecessor Moin Khan was getting worse as a wicket keeper and batsman. But it seems that history is repeating itself and Kamran Akmal may have to quit (or be sacked) if the Pakistan Cricket Board wants to put an end to the losing streak.
Former wicket keeper and captain of the national side Rashid Latif believes that the national team should have pacers from the Punjab Province while wicket keepers should be chosen from Sindh. His logic is that since people in Punjab are healthier, they have strong shoulders and stamina, compared to those from Karachi, Sindh’s capital, where light bodied cricketers can be found. It is these cricketers who when turn wicket keepers become the best in the world since they can jump around and be energetic.
Pakistan has had the best wicket keepers from Karachi as well. The brilliant Wasim Bari, who is a legend when it comes to glovemanship, was from Karachi and played in over 80 Tests for his country, the most by any wicket keeper known. Next in line is Saleem Yousuf who made a name for himself during the late 80s, as Bari’s successor. Yousuf was followed by the two most talented wicket keepers in the country - Moin Khan and Rashid Latif - who went onto win many matches, with their catches, then along came Kamran Akmal, who may be a better batsman than any of his predecessors but he drops catches of a centurion after making a century. He fails to collect the ball cleanly despite the fielder’s best efforts. As for the bowlers, had Kamran Akmal held onto the catches he dropped off leg spinner Danish Kaneria alone, Kaneria might have had 500 Test wickets. Sadly, he has just over 250, and he is the biggest victim of Akmal’s inability to do his job.
Since becoming a regular member of the Pakistan side in 2003, Kamran Akmal has played in 48 Tests and 115 one days. With 11 centuries in both forms of the game, he is the most successful wicket keeper batsman for Pakistan, but if his batting exploits are put aside, his statistics deserve a lift. 181 Test and 136 ODI dismissals may seem good on paper but considering his fumbles, the total number of dismissal could have been over 300 in both forms of the game.
Add to this his idiotic decision to declare himself available for a Test against Australia, for which he was dropped by all in Pakistan, including his own captain; Kamran Akmal has lost favour with the fans and those who understand the game. It remains to be seen when the officials who matter drop him, and hope it’s before he drops something huge!
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