Tag: Kamran Akmal

  • ‘Memorable career’: Skipper, other cricketers pen notes for Hafeez

    ‘Memorable career’: Skipper, other cricketers pen notes for Hafeez

    Pakistani cricketers, along with skipper Babar Azam, took to their social media to congratulate and pen heartfelt notes for Professor aka Mohammad Hafeez after he announced his retirement from a successful career of 18 years in international cricket.

    Taking to Twitter, Babar wrote: “A memorable career comes to an end. I have learnt a lot from @mhafeez22 bhai and his experiences. Thank you for your guidance along the time we shared on the field. Happy retirement, professor!”

    Former Pakistani pacer Umar Gul wrote: “We started our career together and since that day, i have known u to be one of the most kindest and straightforward person. U have given so much to the world of cricket during these years n we will surely miss watchn u play for Pakistan. Wishing u prosperity ahead.”

    https://twitter.com/mdk_gul/status/1477901591277555712?s=20

    “Oye Ustaada @MHafeez22 great international career MaShAllah…You have been an outstanding player & a team mate.Thank you for serving Pakistan cricket. All the very best for future Happy Retirement Ustaad G,” said former Pakistani wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal on Twitter.

    Former Pakistan Women Cricket team’s captain Sana Mir also penned a message for the batter, saying: “Congratulations @MHafeez22 on a gritty career. You have always held the honour of our country high and we are all very thank you to you for all your services. All the best for all future plans.”

    Several other cricketers extended well wishes for the former Pakistan captain with many hashtags like Happy Retirement, End of an Era, Professor and Mohammad Hafeez.

    Taking to Twitter, Hafeez said: “My journey of pride representing Pakistan came to an end & i m proudly retiring from international cricket with great satisfaction & joy. Thank u all for 18 years of support. Maintaining highest level of pride & dignity always is my most valuable achievement.”

    “Pakistan Zindabad,” he added.

    Former cricketers Bazid Khan and Saeed Ajmal also congratulated him under his tweet.

    “I’m extremely lucky & proud to have been considered worthy of donning the national kit for 18 years. Every time I stepped on the field, I tried to raise the country’s profile & image by playing hard & tough but within the traditions & spirit of cricket,” he said in a press conference at Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Headquarters today (Monday) in Lahore.

    Hafeez played 55 Tests, 218 ODIs and 119 T20Is while amassing 12,780 runs across formats, and grabbed 32 Player-of-the-Match awards, the fourth-highest among Pakistan players in all international cricket, with only Shahid Afridi (43), Wasim Akram (39) and Inzamam-ul-Haq (33) above him. In addition to that, Hafeez also earned nine Player-of-the-Series awards, joint-second with Imran Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis.

    Meanwhile, Hafeez’z on-field opponent Dale Steyn took to Twitter and said: ” Many a great battle with this man, end of the day, we had the best time and memories we can enjoy forever!”

    “Congratulations on a wonderful international career! Inspired your nation and played the game the right way, well done,” he added.

  • ‘Pick me’: Namibia captain asks to be picked in PSL after Kamran Akmal backs out

    ‘Pick me’: Namibia captain asks to be picked in PSL after Kamran Akmal backs out

    After Kamran Akmal announced that he would not play in the 2022 Pakistan Super League (PSL), Namibian cricketer Gerhard Erasmus and Dutch player Maxwell O’Dowd took to Twitter to express their PSL ambitions.

    Kamran Akmal has decided not to play in PSL 2022 after being picked in the draft in the lowest category of players by his old team Peshawar Zalmi. The 39-year-old was moved down from the Diamond category to the Gold category by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). But he was eventually the last pick for Peshawar from the Silver category. Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, the wicketkeeper-batter called it a “humiliation” and revealed he would not play in the tournament. ESPNCricinfo shared his quote on Twitter to which Namibian cricket captain Gerhard Erasmus replied that he would love to play in the PSL for free.

    “Pick me, I’ll be there for free, wrote Erasmus.

    Meanwhile, Netherlands cricketer Maxwell O’Dowd also retweeted the original post and expressed his desire to play in the tournament next year. He wrote, “Up for a swap!? I’ll gladly play!”

    On Monday, Akmal had said that it was also “an embarrassment”.

    “If it has to end like this, so be it, but I am not going to play with such humiliation,” he said.

    “This is an embarrassment. You don’t treat a player like this. With all the runs I have scored in the league, I deserve better,” he said in the interview.

  • ‘I don’t deserve to play’: Kamran Akmal refuses to play in PSL 2022

    ‘I don’t deserve to play’: Kamran Akmal refuses to play in PSL 2022

    Pakistan’s veteran cricketer Kamran Akmal, the most-capped player in the history of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) as well as the tournament’s second-highest run-scorer, has refused to take part in the next edition of the league after being picked in the draft in the lowest category of players by his team Peshawar Zalmi.

    Peshawar picked Kamran but the wicket keeper-batter refused to play as he feels he doesn’t “deserve to play in this category”.

    “Last 6 seasons it was a great journey. Thank you for supporting me through thick and thin M.Akram bhai @JAfridi10, @darensammy88, @WahabViki. I think I don’t deserve to play in this category…Thank you once again.. @PeshawarZalmi Best of luck. Thank You all the fans for supporting,” Kamran Akmal tweeted.

    The six PSL franchises on Sunday finalised their squads in the quest to lift the trophy at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on March 27.

    Defending champions Multan Sultans selected Australia’s Tim David, who was previously with Lahore Qalandars, in the Platinum Category, while their other notable picks included West Indian duo of Odean Smith and Rovman Powell, and Pakistan trio of Anwar Ali, Imran Khan Snr and Rumman Raees.

    Meanwhile, Zalmi’s potential final squad is as follows:

    Hazratulah Zazai – Platinum

    Liam Livingstone – Platinum

    Wahab Riaz – Platinum

    Haider Ali – Diamond

    Sherfane Rutherford – Diamond

    Shoaib Malik – Diamond

    Hussain Talat – Gold

    Saqib Mahmood – Brand Ambassador – Gold

    Usman Qadir – Gold

    Arshad Iqbal – Silver

    Kamran Akmal – Mentor – Silver

    Salman Irshad – Silver

    Sameen Gul – Silver

    Tom Kohler-Cadmore – Silver

    Mohammad Aamer – Emerging

    Sirajuddin – Emerging

    Ben Cutting – Supplementary

    Mohammad Haris – Supplementary

  • ‘What’ve we won before or after 2017 CT?’: Kamran Akmal slams Pakistan’s cricketing policies after whitewash by England

    ‘What’ve we won before or after 2017 CT?’: Kamran Akmal slams Pakistan’s cricketing policies after whitewash by England

    Wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal has slammed the former coaches for the present scenario of the Pakistan cricket team. His statement came after Babar Azam-led Pakistan was whitewashed after losing the last match to England by 7 wickets.

    Ben Stokes-led England, which featured mostly inexperienced players as the regulars were isolated due to the Covid-19 outbreak, trashed the visiting party in all the three ODIs. After the humiliating series loss, the Pakistan team has been receiving flak from several former cricketers of the country for getting hammered by a second-string team.

    In a conversation with paktv.tv, Akmal heaped praise on England’s cricketing system for setting up an example of how to form a team in adverse conditions.

    “The biggest plus point of England cricket is their system. The players they selected for the series didn’t show a single sign of nervousness, neither did they hit the panic button. They didn’t even complain about the absence of regulars who were in isolation, because they have that kind of confidence,” Akmal said.

    “All the players have played in domestic cricket hence; they handled the pressure well and played with planning. They passed a message to the world how a cricket team should be made and what should be the selection criteria,” he added.

    Akmal further pointed out that the damage was done to the team during the tenure of former coaches and the same old policies of the governing body has hampered Pakistan’s cricketing environment.

    “If you have two coaches of similar types, then that will cause problems. Coaches have the biggest role in constituting a team. Did the last two Pakistan coaches improve the team? They started all this and now the current management is facing flak.

    “The players need to play cricket more and more. They need to spend more time on the ground. They need to focus on every format but unfortunately, T20 is getting more attention. Their lies the problem,” Akmal said.

    “Vicky Bhai [Waqar Younis] was the head coach earlier and then there was Mickey Arthur. What have we won after or before the 2017 Champions Trophy? We were number one in T20Is and in Tests just for a month. But what about India who has been on the top for five years?” he added.

    Pakistan will take on England in a three-match T20I series starting from today (Friday).

  • The internet cannot get enough of Kamran Akmal’s workout

    The internet cannot get enough of Kamran Akmal’s workout

    If there is someone who truly knows how to stay in the headlines without even trying, it is Kamran Akmal.

    The cricketer, who was recently “shocked and disappointed” with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for ignoring him, has been sharing videos of himself training and working out at the gym to demonstrate his fitness.

    All was going well for Kamran until he posted a video of himself doing hip thrusts while his trainer Zeeshan stood on him. Soon after the video was posted, Twitter couldn’t get enough of Kami Bhai and his workout. Check out some of the reactions below:

    Some social media users couldn’t help poking fun at senior journalist Ansar Abbasi by tagging him and asking him to take action. Abbasi had earlier been criticised for urging Prime Minister Imran Khan and Federal Minister for Information Shibli Faraz to take notice of a woman exercising on state-owned Pakistan Television (PTV) News.

    https://twitter.com/daanistan/status/1349103227216785410?s=20

    Meanwhile, don’t forget to check out The Current‘s exclusive interview with Kami Bhai. You will not regret watching this video. Promise.

  • Junaid Khan reportedly quitting Pakistan cricket

    Social media is abuzz with reports that Pakistani fast bowler Junaid Khan is considering quitting Pakistan cricket as he has offers from the USA and UK.

    According to numerous sports journalists, the left-arm fast bowler has offers from USA and UK for commercial cricket and he is going to meet top officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) before taking a big step.

    Another sports journalist claimed that domestic teams, KPK and Central Punjab preferred youngsters over Junaid and Kamran Akmal. Young pacers from KPK took their team into the finals this season while Akmal has been left out due to his relatively poor form.

    The pacer has represented Pakistan in 22 Test matches, 76 ODIs and 9 T20Is.

    Earlier, Kamran Akmal was also disappointed by the behavior of PCB as he was also left out of Pakistan Cup.

    Meanwhile, Mohammad Amir was not satisfied with the behaviour of PCB either and he announced his retirement from Pakistan cricket in December 2020. Sami Aslam had left Pakistan cricket in December and joined hands with USA cricket.

  • ‘I rest my case to Allah’: Kamran Akmal shocked over PCB ignorance

    ‘I rest my case to Allah’: Kamran Akmal shocked over PCB ignorance

    Veteran wicket-keeper batsman Kamran Akmal is shocked and disappointed over ignorance by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

    Taking to Twitter, Akmal expressed his feelings and wrote: “Shocked and disappointed. As a senior and season[ed] player, I have not been treated well.”

    Akmal also requested PCB and Director Domestic Cricket Nadeem Khan to look into the matter.

    “Cricket is my passion and I want to play it but…I rest my case to My Allah,” he added.

    Later, while replying to Twitter users, the cricketer further expressed his disappointment over his non-selection.

    Kamran has been left out of Pakistan Cup, which started today in Karachi. He was also not included in the Quaid-e-Azam 2020 Trophy Final.

    The 38-year-old cricketer has represented Pakistan in 53 Tests, 157 ODIs and 58 T20Is. He represents Peshawar Zalmi in Pakistan Super League (PSL).

    Read more – Hero aise zaleel nahi hotay, says Kamran Akmal

    Meanwhile, Akmal has been keeping himself busy in the gym and with his YouTube channel. He has interviewed many cricketers on his channel, including Mohammad Amir and Imam-ul-Haq.

    Fellow cricketer, Mohammad Hafeez showed his support amd wished Kamran good luck for his future.

  • ‘Where’s the fat?’ Umar Akmal bares all in fitness test

    ‘Where’s the fat?’ Umar Akmal bares all in fitness test

    The Akmal brothers are not only notorious for their on-field shenanigans but their off-field actions often make it to the headlines as well.

    And it appears that Umar Akmal has found himself in trouble once again after he reportedly misbehaved with staff during a fitness test at the National Cricket Academy (NCA).

    According to reports, the 29-year-old batsman exposed himself amid a bout of anger during a fitness test.

    “Where’s the fat?” questioned Akmal as he took off all his clothes after failing the skin-fold test. It is pertinent to mention here that while some reports say that Akmal completely removed his clothing, others say that he only took off his shirt.

    Read more – Hero aise zaleel nahi hotay: Kamran Akmal

    Meanwhile, Kamran Akmal defended his brother’s actions saying that the entire episode was just a “misunderstanding”, and that Umar had done it in “mischief”.

    Kamran also reportedly failed his fitness tests by substantial margins. He skipped two fitness tests, before finally making it to the third one only to fail in nearly all departments. And in an interactive session on Twitter later in the day, Kamran remarked that other than fitness, skills and performance are also important for selection.

  • Hero aise zaleel nahi hotay: Kamran Akmal

    Hero aise zaleel nahi hotay: Kamran Akmal

    Head coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq on Thursday announced Pakistan’s squad for the upcoming T20Is against Bangladesh. While Babar Azam has been appointed captain, the experienced middle-order duo of Muhammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik have also returned to the team.

    Meanwhile, none of the Akmal brothers were part of the squad and Kamran took to social media to express his hurt and disappointment.

    Kamran, who recently turned 38, last played an international game in 2017 but has been in impressive form lately and is the all-time scorer in the Pakistan Super League.

    When sports journalist Shoaib Jatt commented that the batsman is a hero, Akmal replied, “Hero aise zaleel nahi hotey.”

    Kamran also replied to other Twitter users and shared that though he doesn’t quite understand what the selectors want, he won’t give up and will continue to give his best.

    Kamran also congratulated his colleagues Muhammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik on their selection.

    The full squad includes Babar Azam, Ahsan Ali, Ammad Butt, Haris Rauf, Ifthikar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Musa Khan, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Usman Qadir

    Meanwhile, in an interview with The Current in September 2019, Akmal had said that he felt that he was “invisible to the selectors”.

    When asked why he wasn’t selected for the team, Akmal had replied, “I think I was invisible to the selectors. They were unable to see my performance. That’s all I’d say. The selectors and board can tell you better.”

    Akmal had also shared his everyday fitness routine.

    “I undergo physical training for an hour or two every day in the ground with my brothers Umar and Adnan. Then we take rest for an hour or so and later come here… to the club.”

    Kamran also chose Misbah over Shahid Afridi.

    “Both are good,” he had said. “But how Misbah led the team for five or six years as the captain; took the team to the top. His and the team’s performance in Test matches was outstanding.”

    Watch the full interview here: