Will Pakistan revert back to bumbling Kamran Akmal at The Oval?
Just as Pakistan returns to the very place where the controversial Oval Test took place four years back, the team will be haunted by ghosts from the past, as well as the future. While the ghost of 2006 will fuel the players to do well, the ghost of ‘who will keep the wickets’ will demoralise the bowlers like never before.
Pakistan’s new wicket keeper on the block, Zulqarnain Haider, is in danger of missing the third as well as the fourth test after being diagnosed with a finger injury ahead of the third Test. He received the injury when English pacer Stuart Broad hurled a ball back at him in frustration; Broad was promptly fined afterwards for losing his cool.
Although Zulqarnain missed a couple of chances behind the stumps, he gained fair points for his technical skills. Former Pakistan captain Moin Khan feels he will be a great asset for the national team provided he works hard and performs consistently. He said that the young wicketkeeper showed great ability under pressure both behind the wickets and with the bat, and that will help Pakistan in the future. Moin also added that the wicket keeper’s performance will serve as an example for his team mates, who seem to be unsure of their game.
Zulqarnain’s presence is also likely to boost the bowlers who seemed more committed with him behind the wickets. The former wicketkeeper also put his weight behind the rookie, claiming technically, Zulqarnain was very good but still needed some improvements. “I hope he will learn with the passage of time,” Moin http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Khan-c71319 said of the newcomer. Manager, Yawar Saeed was unsure whether the new wicket keeper will make it to the final XI or not, but it is believed that Zulqarnain’s injury is serious.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755’s vice captain and easily the sloppiest wicket keeper in the world, Kamran Akmal, will be eyeing the Test spot despite injuring his eye in practice. The Pakistan vice captain might want to play, yet his absence from the final XI will help Pakistan more than his presence in it.
No other wicket keeper has dropped as many catches and missed stumpings as Kamran Akmal has, yet he continues to play due to his superior batting skills. He was dropped twice for his sloppy batting in 2010, and when he dropped his 33rd and 34th catch behind the wicket during the series opener, he was dropped for good. His fate was sealed with Zulqarnain displaying better keeping and batting skills, but it seems that if he fails to recover, Kamran will get a chance to demonstrate what were once considered skills behind the wicket.
A final decision on who will play and who will miss out will be made on Tuesday after Zulaqarnain gets to meet a specialist. Although preliminary tests do not seem to be heartening for the rookie keeper, further tests were done to determine the true nature of his injury. With Pakistan down 2 nil in the series, Zulqarnain’s playing with injury will help the team as whatever his performance will be; it is likely to be better than that of a fully fit Kamran Akmal.
English pacer Stuart Broad may have been fined half his match fee by Ranjan Madugalle, the ICC match referee, for admitting his fault at Edgbaston, but he got out the easy way. If Zulqarnain does not play the next match, Broad might savour the fee he was not fined for. His actions will give a new life to Kamran Akmal, hence aid his batting mates as well. Until and unless the bungling Akmal makes a miraculous resurgence, which seems highly unlikely, Pakistan will be reduced to 10 valid players on the field, and England will have 12 playing for it.
Tags: