Former wicketkeeper batter Kamran Akmal lashed out at the Pakistan cricket team management for snubbing Abrar Ahmed for the two-match Test series against Bangladesh. Pakistan have decided to go for an all-pace attack for the first Test match and released their only spinner Abrar, days before the clash. Abrar and top-order batter Kamran Ghulam were released from the squad in order to give them some game time during the second practice game between Pakistan Shaheens and Bangladesh 'A'. The Pakistan Cricket Board said the selectors wanted the spinner to gain some match practice ahead of the second Test, which starts in Karachi on Aug. 30. Both Abrar and Ghulam will rejoin Pakistan’s test squad ahead of the second test match.
It's been four years since Pakistan decided to go with an all-pace attack when they played against Sri Lanka at home in 2019.
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All-rounder Salman Ali Agha is the only spin option now available to Pakistan for the first test. The off-spinner has bowled consistently in test matches since 2023.
Akmal lashed out at the Pakistan management and said Australia won't play without Nathan Lyon, and India won't drop Ravindra Jadeja or Ravichandran Ashwin from their XI for the home tests.
"With Jason Gillespie (Pakistan's Test head coach), we are talking about the Australian mindset. But can Australia play without Nathan Lyon? Will India play without Ashwin or Ravindra Jadeja? No, they won't. You have Abrar, but you have shut down his confidence so much," Akmal told Cricket Pakistan.
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{{/usCountry}}"With Jason Gillespie (Pakistan's Test head coach), we are talking about the Australian mindset. But can Australia play without Nathan Lyon? Will India play without Ashwin or Ravindra Jadeja? No, they won't. You have Abrar, but you have shut down his confidence so much," Akmal told Cricket Pakistan.
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{{/usCountry}}The veteran Pakistan wicketkeeper lashed out at the Pakistan management for showing bias while picking players.
"Due to personal likes and dislikes, that boy (Abrar) has been ruined. His fitness and off-the-field issues were highlighted, and because of that, you've spoiled that boy and harmed Pakistan," said Akmal.
Pakistan squad
Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Hurraira, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Agha Salman, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi