Well, let's just recap the issues in reverse order.
1. Umar Akmal just had series ODI scores of 48, 16, 36, 7 and 43 - a total of 150 runs at an average of 30. He was dropped down the order to where batsmen have to take risks.
2. It's obvious that he remains more gifted than any other Pakistani batsman, but he's out of shape and as he tires he plays excessively high-risk slogs.
3. Going back to his international debut he has always been the same - more talented than the rest, but lazy and inconsistent. But his QEA, PSL and now ODI performances this season show that his technique remains absolutely intact.
Mickey Arthur is frustrated. You're frustrated. I'm frustrated.
And yet we all know that if Pakistan finds itself struggling against the bowling of Cummins-Starc-Hazlewood or Boult-Southee, then the only batsman with the hand-eye coordination, bravery and technique to rescue Pakistan from 120-4 in the 30th over are Babar Azam or Umar Akmal. Nobody else is capable.
So Pakistan now faces a dilemma.
They can either devote the next 10 weeks to getting Umar Akmal fit and firing, or they can throw him back overboard and prefer someone who is fitter but less capable of surviving and scoring off top bowlers.
I remember football's 2002 World Cup. Ronaldo was overweight and unfit and had barely played for 18 months. But Brazil knew that he could score goals that nobody else could, so they didn't persecute him for his terrible diet or his lazy fitness regimen, they just gave him an all-day personal trainer for 2 months and ended up with him winning the World Cup for them.
But it looks as if Pakistan would instead prefer to say "we gave him every chance to get fit and he didn't take it and that's his fault so we won't pick him".
The problem is, England said that about their creative midfield genius Paul Gascoigne at the 1998 World Cup. He had been their star in 1990 and 1996 and his performance in Rome had got them to the World Cup. But subsequently David Beckham had emerged. They didn't need an overweight unfit midfield general. Or so they thought.
Until Beckham got himself sent off against Argentina in the World Cup Quarter Final. Suddenly England desperately needed the one Englishman who could keep possession. Gazza. But they hadn't picked him. The rest is history.
Pakistan is at the same crossroads that Glenn Hoddle found himself at with Gazza.
If they leave out their most gifted batsman, well he deserves it.
But they'd do far better to get him fit rather than to cast him aside!
1. Umar Akmal just had series ODI scores of 48, 16, 36, 7 and 43 - a total of 150 runs at an average of 30. He was dropped down the order to where batsmen have to take risks.
2. It's obvious that he remains more gifted than any other Pakistani batsman, but he's out of shape and as he tires he plays excessively high-risk slogs.
3. Going back to his international debut he has always been the same - more talented than the rest, but lazy and inconsistent. But his QEA, PSL and now ODI performances this season show that his technique remains absolutely intact.
Mickey Arthur is frustrated. You're frustrated. I'm frustrated.
And yet we all know that if Pakistan finds itself struggling against the bowling of Cummins-Starc-Hazlewood or Boult-Southee, then the only batsman with the hand-eye coordination, bravery and technique to rescue Pakistan from 120-4 in the 30th over are Babar Azam or Umar Akmal. Nobody else is capable.
So Pakistan now faces a dilemma.
They can either devote the next 10 weeks to getting Umar Akmal fit and firing, or they can throw him back overboard and prefer someone who is fitter but less capable of surviving and scoring off top bowlers.
I remember football's 2002 World Cup. Ronaldo was overweight and unfit and had barely played for 18 months. But Brazil knew that he could score goals that nobody else could, so they didn't persecute him for his terrible diet or his lazy fitness regimen, they just gave him an all-day personal trainer for 2 months and ended up with him winning the World Cup for them.
But it looks as if Pakistan would instead prefer to say "we gave him every chance to get fit and he didn't take it and that's his fault so we won't pick him".
The problem is, England said that about their creative midfield genius Paul Gascoigne at the 1998 World Cup. He had been their star in 1990 and 1996 and his performance in Rome had got them to the World Cup. But subsequently David Beckham had emerged. They didn't need an overweight unfit midfield general. Or so they thought.
Until Beckham got himself sent off against Argentina in the World Cup Quarter Final. Suddenly England desperately needed the one Englishman who could keep possession. Gazza. But they hadn't picked him. The rest is history.
Pakistan is at the same crossroads that Glenn Hoddle found himself at with Gazza.
If they leave out their most gifted batsman, well he deserves it.
But they'd do far better to get him fit rather than to cast him aside!
) 
