Kamran Akmal’s batting is indispensable to Pakistan - Part 2 - Opinion
Continued from Part 1...
No more was this evident, than the famous Karachi Test of 2006, when Pakistan slumped to 39 for 6 in their first innings against arch rivals http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750. Akmal combined grit, wit and diligence by peppering the Indian bowlers all around the National Stadium with impunity. The end result was a solid 113 to his name and a first innings score of 245 for Pakistan, which was enough to deal a psychological blow to the Indians and secure a memorable victory for Pakistan.
That innings and his calm approach on the pitch with the bat in hand, has made him one of Pakistan’s most prolific batsmen in modern times. Bowlers around the world have come to acknowledge, that getting http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Kamran-Akmal-c70122 out would mean that one would need to produce a delivery of pure class or have him run out with brilliance on the field. Occasionally however, flashing at deliveries outside of the off stump has lead to his demise; yet it can be argued that in modern consumerist times, where adventurous stroke play has become a necessity, Akmal can well be excused for playing the manner in which he does. History tells us that players who resort to playing by inclination, often reap rewards as compared to those who fabricate their style of play. Kamran Akmal is a living example of that.
He has also not been embroiled in controversy, and is pretty much low key off the field. There have been times however, when he underwent a harsh disciplinary procedure from the PCB due to his own failings in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625 World T20 in September.
Kamran Akmal has also been a regular feature of the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Netherlands-c753. Those performances were enough to mark him as one of the spot lights for Pakistan in that tournament. Even his wicket keeping was praised in that World Cup, especially in a must win game against the Netherlands, to stay in contention for the next round.
In light of all these factors, the PCB has made a wise decision to include Kamran Akmal in their squad. With the onus on him to do away with the gloves and bat with impunity, he could well and truly be one of the key players who could write a dream script for Pakistan, fit to go straight into cricket folklore. With an average of 23.46 in as many as 38 matches in the shortest format of the game, Akmal is undoubtedly indispensable to the Pakistan cricket team. The icing on the cake is his strike rate of 124.60, and that could well and truly materialize in the Emerald Isle.
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