After losing to America in the T20 World Cup, Pakistan’s former cricketers lashed out at the team and management for losing the match they almost won against India.
In the ARY News sports program, on Monday said, “The quality of Pakistan’s men’s cricket team has gone down so much that now we should play with the women’s teams of Australia and England instead of a men’s team.”
The former batsman is getting slammed by social media users for the misogynistic comments. Here are some reactions:
Former Pakistan cricketers including Kamran Akmal, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Gul and Abdul Razzaq got stuck at the Dubai airport after flight operations were severely affected due to devastating rains in the Gulf metropolis.
The flight supposed to carry Pakistan’s former cricketers had been further delayed.
The four former Pakistani players have been at Dubai Airport since 1 pm Wednesday. All the passengers including the players have now been told to take a flight tomorrow morning.
According to the schedule, the players were to leave Dubai for Houston at four o’clock in the evening on Wednesday.
Former captain of the Pakistan cricket team, Misbah-ul-Haq, was angry with the attitude of Emirates Airlines and wrote on X, “It’s strange that you @emirates start boarding process and after two hours suddenly tells everyone to go back as the flight iscancelled. People are made to stand in lines with children for hours and hours for nothing at the end. Worst behaviour of an airline ever in my life.”
“First we were asked to board, then after two hours the flight was canceled, people were standing in queues with children for hours, waiting for us for 30 hours. The situation is understood, but if an honest answer is not given, then anger comes.”
Kamran Akmal retweeted the tweet and wrote, “Disappointing service by @Emirates at DXB.”
A 75-years-old has been broken due to torrential rains in the states of UAE including Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.
Cricketer Kamran Akmal has complained that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has forgotten about it’s former players. He asked how can he go to watch a match, when the board did not send free passes.
The sensational matches of PSL are going on right now, but former cricketers are missing out from going to the stadium to watch them.
PCB has banned free passes and tickets even before the start of the event, which has also affected former national cricketers.
When the former national wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal, who participated in the PSL transmission of ARY, was asked about going to the match stadium, he said that he could not go.
He demanded that Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi and the Chief Selector take immediate notice of the matter and give a “shut-up call” to the responsible persons.
PCB traditionally used to send special passes to ex-national players for major cricket events in the country.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed former cricketers Kamran Akmal, Rao Iftikhar Anjum and Salman Butt as consultants of Chief Selector Wahab Riaz.
The trio will begin performing their duties immediately, with the five-match T20 International series in New Zealand, starting January 12, being their first assignment. The three members will also perform additional duties in the Skills Camp on non-selection duty days.
Kamran Akmal has represented Pakistan in 53 Tests, 157 ODIs, and 58 T20I matches and has scored a total of 6871 runs in all three formats and has 453 catches and stumpings behind the wickets. He was a member of the 2009 T20 World Cup-winning team.
Rao Iftikhar Anjum was also part of the 2009 T20 World Cup winning team, he has played one Test, 62 ODIs, and two T20Is and has taken 78 international wickets.
Former captain Salman Butt has represented Pakistan in 33 Tests, 78 ODIs, and 24 T20I and has scored 5209 runs in all three formats with 11 centuries. He was also part of the 2009 T20 World Cup winning team along with Kamran Akmal and Rao Iftikhar Anjum.
After Pakistan’s consecutive defeats to India, Australia, and Afghanistan in the ICC ODI World Cup, the national team is being heavily criticized.
While speaking on the sports transmission of a private TV channel, Pakistan’s former wicket-keeper batsman Kamran Akmal said, “Everyone is saying that the Pakistan team must win the next four matches, but I wish that Pakistan loses its next matches too”.
Kamran Akmal says Pakistan must lose the next four matches too and only then we will get rid of the current management and staff
That’s a huge statement! Do you agree with him? #PAKvsAFG #CWC23 #AUSvsNEDpic.twitter.com/qPlBfykGYB
— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) October 25, 2023
The former cricketer said, “If we want Pakistan’s cricket to be improved, then the team should not win the next match. If the national team wins and enters the top four, then they will start the same thing again.”
As soon as Kamran Akmal said this, the anchor immediately pointed at him and said, “What are you talking about? I don’t want to see Pakistan lose.” To which Kamran Akmal replied, “This is not about losing the match but it will destroy their ego”.
The video clip is going viral on social media and users are also commenting on it.
Former batsman Kamran Akmal lost his cool and lashed out at captain Babar Azam after Pakistan cricket team was defeated in the fifth T20I against New Zealand at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan set what seemed like a huge total of 194 runs, however, the Kiwis chased it with ease, Akmal said.
The former wicket keeper criticized the captaincy skills of the national team skipper Babar Azam, after suffering defeat at the hands of New Zealand.
Taking to his YouTube channel, Akmal slammed Babar, observing that after four years of captaincy, he still doesn’t know how to take a quick decision.
“He does not even know which bowler will change the game,” Akmal stated, adding that two left handers were chewing up the bowling line-up, then asked why Azam did not give the bowling to Iftikhar Ahmed.
“Speaking of their mistakes, they deflect and accuse us of criticism. But our focus is on their captaincy, not their performance. We’re not blind to their abilities.
He (Babar Azam) still doesn’t know how to do captaincy after four years – he doesn’t even know which bowler to send out at what time. It’s no surprise that they lost when they continue to make the same mistakes. We didn’t control our errors, and that’s why they [New Zealand] emerged victorious,” he said.
The 41-year-old also slammed the skipper for giving the ball to Shadab instead of Iftikhar Ahmed in the fifth T20I game. He believed it was a logical choice to go with Ahmed when both left-handed batsmen were on the crease.
“If both the left-handed batsmen were on the crease, the logical choice would have been to give the ball to Iftikhar Ahmed. But instead, we saw the leg-spinner Shadab Khan was given the over and was being continuously beaten by the Blackcaps batters.
It would have been wise to rest him and bring in another all-rounder to give the team a chance to regain their footing,” he concluded.
Akmal was also of the view that Shadab Khan’s dropped catch cost the match, pointing out that he drops catches in all the important matches and still Babar is not dropping him.
Kamran Akmal, hero of the 2009 T20 World Cup and former wicket-keeper batsman has backed his brother Umar Akmal stating that it is clear that there the criteria for team selection is not based on performance.
There are players who have just 30 or 32 runs as their highest and they still got selected because they have strong friendships in Pakistani team, the batsman implied.
Yesterday Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced squads for T20 and ODI against New Zealand in a series scheduled to begin on April 14. Babar Azam will be the captain and Shadab Khan will hold the vice-captaincy spot.
PCB crushed all rumors of looking for a replacement for Shadab Khan after he lost a series as captain against Afghanistan in United Arab Emirates.
Fans, however, are excited to see their favorite players back in the squad particularly Muhammad Rizwan, Babar Azam and fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi who will lead the pace attack will be led by Shaheen Shah Afridi.
On the other hand senior player Kamran Akmal is not so happy with the selection of the squad, lashing out at the Pakistan cricket board management and selection committee for not selecting Umar Akmal in the T20 squad.
“I am talking about Umar. They announced the T20 team and didn’t include him in the squad. Why? He played last year’s PSL and this year’s PSL in very tough conditions He tried his best to deliver whenever given an opportunity, a chance, limited amount of balls or overs, etc.,” Akmal said.
“I don’t need to explain or tell anyone; everyone is well aware of the reality. Yet, I still cannot comprehend why he isn’t being given a chance in the national team, particularly on the batting number where almost every player has been tried,” he added.
Kamran Akmal stressed that his younger brother doesn’t indulge in flattery, which is why he goes unnoticed.
“The performance of all these players is crystal clear in front of everyone; despite that, you are still not including Umar because he isn’t in the likings or good books of the selection committee? Or maybe because he doesn’t greet you guys well, doesn’t invest a lot of time in flattering – this is what I can conclude as to why he isn’t a part of the national team.”
Continuing in the same vein, Kamran Akmal said that it is crystal clear that performance is not the criteria for the selection, adding that one has to be a foot licker or employ flattery for selection in the Pakistan team.
The 34-year-old Umar, who last played a T20I match against Sri Lanka way back in 2019, stated that his recent performances in domestic cricket are in front of everyone, and it’s up to the selection committee to pick him in the national side.
“I leave the decision of selection for the upcoming series against New Zealand to the PCB and the selection committee. I take cricket very seriously, be it club cricket, domestic cricket, or international cricket. As you can see, I don’t miss a single club cricket game, and I always give my 100%. I will continue to perform like this till the end,” he said.
Shoaib Akhtar again lands in controversy after mocking Kamran Akmal on live TV
After facing criticism over his remarks about Babar Azam, former speedster Shoaib Akhtar has again landed in controversy after mocking former wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal for his pronunciations. “Sakreeen Nahi screen hota hai,” (It is called screen, not sakreen) Akhtar told Akmal on a live television show.
Akhtar, who holds the record for the fastest delivery in the history of cricket, has several times found himself being criticized for his remarks.
Earlier this week, Akhtar said about Babar Azam that to be a brand, he must speak well, adding that the batting superstar will not be a brand until he improves his spoken English. “Playing Cricket is one thing and handling media is another thing,” he said.
Social media users bashed him for the statement.
While offering an explanation of his comments, he said: “I did not intend to disparage Babar Azam but he needs to improve himself if he wants to be a big brand.”
The much-anticipated official hymn for the second edition of the Kashmir Premier League (KPL), which will take place from August 11 to 25, was unveiled on Saturday.
The anthem, which is sung by superstar singers Aima Baig and Sahir Ali Bagga, also includes notable Pakistani athletes, including Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal, Sharjeel Khan, and Azam Khan.
The KPL administration also took sure to promote Kashmiri music in the writing of the song and included some magnificent images of the magnificence of the valley.
The opening match of the second KPL season will take place on August 11 at Muzaffarabad Cricket Stadium, while the championship game will follow on August 25 at the same location.
Fans of cricket will be able to watch some of Pakistan’s most well-known cricketers, such as Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Amir, and Sharjeel Khan, play in the KPL this year as icon players.
Former Pakistan wicket-keeper-batter Kamran Akmal is celebrating his birthday today and all Pakistani cricketers are sending him warm wishes on social media.
The cricketer celebrated his birthday with his family. Posting the pictures on Twitter, Akmal wrote: “Late night birthday surprises are always amazing. Thank you my wife,kids and family for a wonderful birthday surprise!!”
Several cricketers like Saeed Ajmal, Wahab Riaz, Fawad Alam, Hassan Ali, Ahmad Shahzad and others wished him on Twitter with sweet birthday wishes.
His brother and batter Umar Akmal also wished his older brother on social media.
Afghan cricketer Najib Zadran also wished him under his post.
Akmal made his ODI and Test debuts during Pakistan’s tour of Zimbabwe in 2002 and the cricketer has taken more than 1400 catches behind the stumps and more than 250 stumps. This is the most by any Asian wicket-keeper.
Kamran Akmal’s poor show in the Sydney Test led to suspicion and allegations of match fixing. In September 2010, the ICC sent an official notice to inform him that he is under investigation for fixing the Sydney Test. However, Kamran was absolved off all charges.
Akmal also had reservations about his demotion in Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) seventh edition by his franchise Peshawar Zalmi and said that he is “humiliated” but the issues were resolved later and Zalmi cleared that he will “very much be a part” of the franchise, and that he will be playing for the team next season.