Umar Akmal: “He is my son and he is very passionate about cricket but if I share my honest opinion; I don’t want him to play cricket as you know it is Pakistan”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal has admitted that he doesn’t want his son to pursue a career in cricket.
Akmal was once considered a batting prodigy and many saw him as the next big thing.
However, despite showing incredible potential, the 34-year-old never lived up to expectations and is considered to be one of the biggest what if stories in the country.
“He is my son and he is very passionate about cricket but if I share my honest opinion; I don’t want him to play cricket as you know it is Pakistan. Kindly pray for him to succeed, and if the Pakistan Cricket Board wants, then he can play,” Akmal was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
The Lahore native, who is Babar Azam’s cousin, last played international cricket in October 2019.
Akmal has been aiming to earn a recall to the national team and last featured in domestic cricket in February 2024 when he played for the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) in the President’s Trophy Grade-I tournament.
Currently, many of Pakistan’s top players are involved in the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL) after a disappointing tour of New Zealand, where the men in green lost the T20I series 4-1 and the ODIs 3-0.
PSL 10 was postponed midway through due to Pakistan’s ongoing border tensions with India, but the tournament resumed on May 17 and is set to conclude on May 25.