Umar Akmal: “My request is to talk about the cricket [and] don’t damage my personal life”
Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal has lashed out at his critics, saying they should not criticise him over his personal life
Akmal’s comments come after he was lambasted for being fined 20 percent of his match fee for breaking the team’s curfew during the recent ODI series against Australia in the United Arab Emirates.
Prior to the fifth ODI in Dubai, it was reported that Akmal violated the curfew as he attended a concert by American singer Akon without obtaining permission to do so by the team management.
“If I am not in the selectors’ plan I don’t mind, I have more cricket in me, I will keep performing insha’Allah and if Allah wills, I will make them select me again,” he was quoted as saying by PakPassion. “I don’t want to dwell on the past, I want to look ahead, I have a lot of cricket left in me.
“I have remained out of the team for a long time. All the senior players who I’ve played with who come on TV and say things, I would like to say to them that I’ve played cricket with them and I also know about them [from] A to Z. Every player has respect, don’t damage that respect. Criticise, I have no problem with that, but don’t [attack] my personal life.
“I am fond of music, I don’t hide it from anyone. I have said it in many interviews, my family knows where I go and what I do, if my family doesn’t have any problem with it then no one else should.
“I am known for my cricket, if I perform well then no one talks about it and instead they talk about my personal life. So my request is to talk about the cricket [and] don’t damage my personal life.”