Ramiz Raja: “In today’s date, there is no bigger match-winner than Umar Akmal in Pakistan – playing at 6 or 7”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Ramiz Raja said there is no bigger match-winner at number six or seven for Pakistan than senior batsman Umar Akmal.
Ramiz’s surprising choice comes after the 33-year-old featured for the Quetta Gladiators in the 2023 Pakistan Super League (PSL).
In the six matches he played, Akmal scored 95 runs at an average of 23.75 and a strike-rate of 186.27.
It should be noted that Akmal last played international cricket in October 2019, but was once considered to be a prodigy in Pakistan.
However, off-field issues and controversies plagued his career and he eventually ended up being banned for failing to report corrupt approaches.
Despite all the problems, Ramiz still feels Akmal could be the finisher Pakistan have been looking for.
“In today’s date, there is no bigger match-winner than Umar Akmal in Pakistan – playing at 6 or 7,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Pakistan’s next assignment will be a two-Test series against Sri Lanka from July 16 to 28, but Akmal was not picked for it.
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