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Cricket Players'If I'm not meeting required fitness standards, call me to the PCA and...': Discarded Pakistan star hopeful of comeback
The 32-year-old is still harbouring dreams of making a comeback to the national team. In an interview with Paktv, he stressed that his fitness won't be the reason for his non-selection.
Controversial Pakistan star Umar Akmal, who promised a lot after making a hundred in New Zealand on his Test debut, failed to live up to the high expectations that came with some fine performances early on in his career. Akmal was at the centre of controversy on several occasions and he got an 18-month ban in 2020 for not reporting corrupt approaches, but the suspension was later reduced later to six months.
Cut to the present day, Akmal has fallen off the radar of selectors. His last game for Pakistan was back in October 2019 against Sri Lanka, where he perished for a golden duck in Lahore. The wicketkeeper-batter has so far featured in 16 Tests, 121 ODIs and 84 T20Is, scoring 1,003, 3,194 and 1,690 runs, respectively.
Akmal, 32, is still harbouring dreams of making a comeback to the national team. In an interview with PakTV, he said that he has proved with recent performances that his fitness won't be the reason for his non-selection.
"I am hopeful of making a comeback. If I get enough support from people and senior players, I will be back in the national side. The question of fitness not being up to the mark arises when a batter's running between the wickets is not good or if he isn't able to field for all the overs.
"They should see ground fitness. You can confirm this with my coach. I have kept wickets for all overs and have been running the singles and doubles well too," said Akmal.
The discarded Pakistan stumper also asked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to give him a chance to train at the NCA, where he could work with a trainer and meet the required fitness standards in just three weeks.
"If I am not meeting the required fitness standards, call me to the Pakistan Cricket Academy and give me an opportunity to work with the trainers. If they don't want to call me to the academy, then at least a trainer could provide me with a plan I would hire a personal trainer for myself then and work accordingly.
"Three weeks are enough to improve a player's fitness. My gound fitness is fine, but they have told me that my body isn't how they want it to be."
On keeping wickets for Central Punjab's second XI side, Akmal said, "Our head coach Imran Farhat had told me that I will need to keep the wickets for the second XI matches. Be it club cricket or the Pakistan team, I am always willing to do what the team needs from me."
