Akmal complains to Imran Khan on batting slot, earns PCB wrath

Bs_logoImage
Press Trust of India Karachi
Last Updated : Mar 20 2016 | 5:13 PM IST
Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal has come under fire from the team management for allegedly requesting former captain Imran Khan to put in a word to the team management about pushing him up in the batting slot.
A furious former skipper Ramiz Raza wants the team management to bench Akmal junior for his selfish attitude.
"I am very angry with Umar's behavior. Whenever he meets with a former great, he ends up talking about having his batting order changed. My heart says that for his behavior Umar should be sat out in the next match," Ramiz said on Geo News channel.
It was learnt that when Imran dropped in to meet the Pakistan players for a pep talk before the crucial game against India yesterday, Umar took the opportunity to ask him to tell the captain (Shahid Afridi) to send him to bat in the top order.
TV channels showed footage of Umar talking about it to Imran and the former great than turning around and telling someone that Umar should be sent to bat up the order.
Ramiz said that he was disappointed that Umar complained to Imran knowing well they were television cameras around them.
"Teams are never selected in such manner," the former captain lamented.
A reliable source in the Pakistan Cricket Board told PTI that Chairman Shaharyar Khan, who is present in Kolkata, had not taken kindly to Umar's antics and had spoken to the team management about the incident in front of cameras.
Umar has a history of disciplinary problems and has been in the past been censured or fined several times by the board for his behavior.
Ramiz also supported the decision to invite Imran for a pep talk.
"Before the 1992 World Cup final also, Imran had invited Sir Viv Richards to our dressing room. But the purpose of his visit was not give us technical or tactical advice but just give us a motivational speech," Ramiz recalled.
Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online

  • Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Mar 20 2016 | 5:13 PM IST