Kamran Akmal believes he can play in all the three formats
Mar 24, 2018 at 5:03 PM
Discarded Pakistan wicket-keeper batsman Kamran Akmal has expressed his desires to play in all the three formats of the game. Akmal was instrumental as he powered Peshawar Zalmi into the final of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) with a match-winning 27-ball 77 against Karachi Kings in the second eliminator.
The wicket-keeper batsman has been performing well in the domestic circuit and has been knocking the doors of the national selectors. Akmal was ignored for Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand despite being the top scorer in the National T20 tournament, scoring 432 runs in eight innings. He also smashed the country’s highest T20 score, 150 during the tournament.
Once one of the batting mainstays of his team, Akmal has found it tough to regain his spot in the national side and has raised questions on several occasions regarding his exclusion.
A couple of days after he set the Gaddafi stadium ablaze with his amazing stroke play Akmal said that his domestic record backs his claim to play in all the three formats.
He said:
“Those who have any doubts on my performance in all formats must turn the pages of domestic cricket during the last three years. I have scored more runs than any other batsmen in all formats of the games. Be it a T20, one-day or four-day cricket my performance is enough to make my critics believe that I am ready for all formats. Performing in all formats of the game does not come as a fluke. In fact it is the result of hard work and complete focus on the game. I am happy that my hard work has paid off.”
He also added he was ready to play any role the management or the selectors asked him to play.
“The job of a player whether he is young or experience one is to perform to a level where everyone can easily acknowledge his contributions. Over the years I have been doing that for region and for department. It is not in the PSL alone that I have been a leading performer. One-day and four-day cricket played under the PCB umbrella would also vouch for contributions.”
Akmal also spoke on his knock in the eliminator:
“I always look towards the team requirements. Zalmi required a brisk start in a rain shortened match. I am glad that along with AD Fletcher, I set the platform for a big total. At the end the opening wicket partnership turned out to be the decisive one for our team.”
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