Umar Akmal: “I keep saying that I want to play and I am being asked if I appeared in trials. Wahab Riaz asked me ‘Have you played trial matches?’ I was like, ‘What are you talking about?’ I told him that I am available”

Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani

Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal revealed he got angry at Wahab Riaz after the former left-arm seamer asked him if he had played any trial matches when he wanted to make a comeback to the national team.

Akmal recalled telling Wahab he was available for selection, but was surprised by the reaction he got in response.

Having played plenty of international matches before, the 35-year-old admitted he wasn’t expecting Wahab to question if he had “appeared in trials”.

“I keep saying that I want to play and I am being asked if I appeared in trials. Wahab Riaz asked me ‘Have you played trial matches?’ I was like, ‘What are you talking about?’ I told him that I am available,” he was quoted as saying by ARY News.

Akmal was not picked by any team for the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL), which the Lahore Qalandars won.

Since he last played international cricket in October 2019, he wasn’t selected for Pakistan’s three-match T20I series against Bangladesh in Lahore, which the men in green won 3-0.

Following this, Pakistan toured Bangladesh for a three-match T20I series in Mirpur and ended up being beaten 2-1.

Pakistan’s next assignment will be a tour of the West Indies, which will consist of three T20Is and three ODIs that will be held from August 1 to 12.

Pakistan Squad for West Indies T20I Series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sufiyan Muqeem

Pakistan Squad for West Indies ODI Series: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sufiyan Muqeem

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