Daily Times

A few years ago, just for the love of Akmal junior and his theatrical stroke play, I sang praises for him in a feature published in The Friday Times. I now confess that I had grossly lost my head. A cricketer is not just a gift of providence; is not only about cover drives that carry a bit of oomph and is certainly not about having tickets on you. At that level, it is mostly about wearing your loyalty towards the country on your sleeves. Kudos to Younis Khan and Misbah for making that grade. On those parameters, sadly, Umar Akmal is not even worth a dime. So wrong was I about this broth of a boy.

The debate over Akmal’s unrealised potential has lingered on for nearly a decade now. By this time, he should have been embalmed in the best of words and should have cemented himself as the updated version of Javed Miandad. His extrovert handling of the best of bowlers, particularly in his early years, led Martin Crowe to forecast him as Pakistan’s next great batsman.

His stout frame, supple wrists and eyes that functioned like a hawk, produced strokes that made the opposition fielders look fewer in number. Sports journalists also struggled in their search for superlatives to describe Akmal’s effortless grafting in the middle. In no time, Akmal was in his pomp and often compared to the Indian Virat Kohli. Watching him bat was a feast for the eyes. But then, for reasons best known to him, he lost both his head and the plot. Rapid fame had perhaps jangled his nerves and inflated his ego. That was all too visible on the field, as he began handing away his wicket on a platter, just when the team needed him the most. His off the field escapades also suggest that he has failed to act his age and stature: whether it is his road rage that lands him into a rift with local police constables or his knack for cheap thrills, shaking a leg at third grade under cover parties, Akmal is always hitting the headlines but for all the wrong reasons.

The debate on Akmal’s unrealised potential has lingered on for nearly a decade now. By this time, he should have been embalmed in the best of words, seen himself cemented as the updated version of Javed Miandad

Akmal’s career chart has plunged into a vortex of nowhere. In a total of 16 Test matches, he has scored a little over 1000 runs at a modest average of 35.82. His hurried and casual approach towards pacing a Test match innings cost him a place in the test side nearly six years ago. Since then, he has been constrained to flex his muscles in the limited overs format. Even in that version of the game, Akmal has lost his reputation of a genuine batsman, mindlessly throwing his wood at every ball.

A fall from grace in my estimate, as Test cricket is the sole polisher of a batsman’s game. However, in a recent interview given to GEO News in the wake of his expulsion from the upcoming Champions Trophy in England, Akmal was seen cutting an apologetic note: “I am determined and ready to commit to cricket,” he said. Three cheers for you boy. I sincerely hope that the second phase of your career manages to turn our heads. With Misbah and Younis out, there is considerable space for you to plaster yourself in that wobbly middle order. Please lick your wounds and think about your country. May your bat finds its sweet spot again and discovers its lost potency!

The writer is an alumnus of University of Cambridge and previously worked as a journalist in London. He has also played for Pakistan’s junior cricket team. He can be reached at bjsadiq46@gmail.com