Ramiz Raja: “I am not sure what the future holds for him”
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Ramiz Raja has conceded that he is unsure what the future holds for Umar Akmal and whether the middle order batsman will get picked in the Pakistan team again.
Akmal last played international cricket in October 2019, but recently made his comeback to domestic cricket after serving a ban for failing to report corrupt approaches.
In the 2023 Pakistan Super League (PSL), the 33-year-old cousin of Pakistan captain Babar Azam represented the Quetta Gladiators and amassed 95 runs in six matches at an average of 23.75 and a strike-rate of 186.27.
Despite showing flashes of brilliance and extraordinary firepower during PSL 8, Ramiz reiterated that it remains to be seen if Akmal will be handed any more opportunities at the international level.
“I am not sure what the future holds for him,” the former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Akmal was not selected for Pakistan’s upcoming tour of Sri Lanka in July, which will consist of two Test matches.
Pakistan Squad for Sri Lanka Test Series:Â Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc & wk), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Muhammad Huraira, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shan Masood