Akmal complains to Imran on batting slot, earns PCB wrath

When Imran dropped in to meet the Pakistan players for a pep talk before the crucial game against India on Saturday, Umar took the opportunity to ask him to tell the captain (Shahid Afridi) to send him to bat in the top order.

Umar Akmal (right) congratulates Virat Kohli after India won the Twenty20 against Pakistan by six wickets.

Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal has come under fire from the team management for allegedly requesting former captain Imran Khan to put in a word to the team management about pushing him up in the batting slot. A furious former skipper Ramiz Raza wants the team management to bench Akmal junior for his selfish attitude.

“I am very angry with Umar’s behavior. Whenever he meets with a former great, he ends up talking about having his batting order changed. My heart says that for his behavior Umar should be sat out in the next match,” Ramiz said on Geo News channel.

It was learnt that when Imran dropped in to meet the Pakistan players for a pep talk before the crucial game against India on Saturday, Umar took the opportunity to ask him to tell the captain (Shahid Afridi) to send him to bat in the top order.

'Teams are never selected in such a manner'

TV channels showed footage of Umar talking about it to Imran and the former great, then, turning around and telling someone that Umar should be sent to bat up the order. Ramiz said that he was disappointed that Umar complained to Imran knowing well they were television cameras around them.

“Teams are never selected in such manner,” the former captain lamented.

A reliable source in the Pakistan Cricket Board told PTI that Chairman Shaharyar Khan, who is present in Kolkata, had not taken kindly to Umar’s antics and had spoken to the team management about the incident in front of cameras.

Umar has a history of disciplinary problems and has been in the past been censured or fined several times by the board for his behavior.Ramiz also supported the decision to invite Imran for a pep talk.

“Before the 1992 World Cup final also, Imran had invited Sir Viv Richards to our dressing room. But the purpose of his visit was not give us technical or tactical advice but just give us a motivational speech,” Ramiz recalled.