[EXCLUSIVE] "The recent events are not something new in Pakistan Cricket": Kamran Akmal

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In an exclusive interview with PakPassion, former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal discussed several key topics related to Pakistan Cricket. He highlighted the ongoing instability within the Pakistan Cricket Board administration and its impact on the cricket in Pakistan.

Discussing recent changes in Pakistan cricket, Akmal examined PCB's recent decisions, such as the formation of a new selection committee and Babar Azam's reinstatement as white-ball captain. He also looked into the removal of Shaheen Afridi as T20I captain and its possible effects on his confidence and performance.

Supporting the idea of keeping Babar Azam as captain for the long term, Akmal stressed its importance. He also analyzed Shan Masood's potential and his crucial role in shaping Pakistan's Test cricket future.

Moreover, Akmal evaluated the suitability and potential contributions of renowned coaches Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten. He also discussed PCB's new model of having two head coaches for different formats and advocated for the development of local coaching talent in Pakistan.

In conclusion, Akmal discussed the challenges and opportunities faced by Umar Akmal, emphasizing the need for him to effectively utilize his potential.

Watch full interview here:


 
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Kami saying it as it is, especially the like dislike culture also lack of interest in test/odi
 
Interesting point about Usman Khan - walks away from Pakistan cricket, has a good PSL and suddenly he's flavour of the month and back in the national set-up.

Sooner or later PCB will turn their back on him and Emirates Board will say don't come back here to him.
 
Kamran raised the valid point that there is also a need to promote our local coaches.

Because, in my opinion, we also need to prepare our coaches so that they can coach teams from other countries.
 
Kamran raised the valid point that there is also a need to promote our local coaches.

Because, in my opinion, we also need to prepare our coaches so that they can coach teams from other countries.
Good scheme, this way our coaches will feel the competition too.
 
Pakistan cricket is still standing where it was 20 years ago.Same policies, same strategies, same faces and same approach. And because of that, we are on the verge of seeing the downfall of PSL too.
 
The new 2 coach setup will be interesting if Kirsten and Gillespie get the jobs.

I've never been a fan of the separate format head coach idea.
 
The new 2 coach setup will be interesting if Kirsten and Gillespie get the jobs.

I've never been a fan of the separate format head coach idea.

Pakistan don't enough international cricket in comparison to India, England, Australia to justify to seperate head coaches. Maybe Kirsten and Gillespie themselves only expressed interest in the Limited Overs and Test Format respectively.
 
Kamran Akmal speaking on his YouTube channel:

“Nowadays, cricket has become very fast-paced, so we have to adjust our thinking accordingly. We are playing a type of cricket without considering the approach we need to adopt. The reality is, we should have a big heart as wins and losses are part of the game. We should give full credit to Ireland, and those who understand cricket should also appreciate them. But we will only excel when we play good cricket. In my opinion, the boys should think a little about the team, until they don’t think about the team, they won’t win for a long time."

“It appears to me that there are some some personal goals taking precedence or similar to that which is not good for the team. Well, the management is there, and they are very mature; they will understand.”​
 
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Personal goals are always the first priority of these guys. Kamran pointed out a fact here.
 
Kamran raised the valid point that there is also a need to promote our local coaches.

Because, in my opinion, we also need to prepare our coaches so that they can coach teams from other countries.
Theoretically it sounds good but the issue with local coaches is favouritism kicks in as well as board interference.

If they don't accept the orders of the chairman they will be sacked.

Overseas coaches wont allow that interference and also will be entitled to big severance pays.
 
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kamran Akmal expressed his concerns about the Pakistan team following the T20Is against Ireland:

“Pakistan should have been excellent in all three departments of bowling, batting, and fielding against Ireland. Pakistan needed to do bowling and batting of a high level that could have helped in building up confidence in the players ahead of such a big series against England.”

“On the other hand, the way the Irish have batted is a worrying sign for Pakistan’s bowling line-up as they didn’t fare well against the opposing team’s batters."

“And when the team will play against a bigger team than Ireland, then that team will have a chance to dominate Pakistan if they make the same mistakes they made against Ireland.”

“So, maybe if their bowling and fielding gets a bit better, the team can do wonders in the upcoming years.”

“Comebacks and learning from mistakes is important and Pakistan team has done that in the series after they lost the first T20I, they played differently in the remaining matches.”
 
Kamran Akmal speaking about Pakistan's defeat against England in the 2nd T20I, on his Youtube Channel:

“We are not going out of our comfort zone; we are just thinking that Shadab Khan should play every game. He has been performing consistently for two and a half years. Remember, this is Pakistan’s team, not a regional or club team. We shouldn’t set such arbitrary standards. When building the Pakistan team, let’s keep Pakistan’s interests at the forefront. Gary Kirsten has joined; he should assess the players’ form.”

“Saim Ayub has played 20 matches. While it’s true that some players haven’t come through the system, if they’re part of the current squad, they deserve a chance. Let’s not assume that the Pakistani public won’t voice their opinions.”

“I didn’t expect this from Gary Kirsten, given his experience as a player and coach. He should make decisions. If things aren’t going right, he should assert his authority. Ultimately, management’s responsibility is to prioritize Pakistan.”

“Friendship shouldn’t cloud decisions. This is Pakistan’s team, and deserving players should get opportunities. Why isn’t Abrar Ahmed playing? You are leaking runs in middle overs and you have no proper spinner in the team. Imad Wasim has bowled well that is why we were saved a bit. Without those wickets, we might have conceded 230 or 240 runs."

“Mohammad Amir bowled well, Shaheen took three wickets, although he could have done better. Haris Rauf gave away 15 runs in the first over, but then he bowled well. However, he should have relied on his pace. Your pace is 145+ and you are bowling slow deliveries that went for some runs.”

“In my opinion, there is no game awareness, no one is asking questions and nobody will. But at this moment, the Pakistani team should play well and fight back in this series."

"Our standards have fallen so low that we're starting to think if we'll ever be able to win against a good team. This is because of our own mistakes, and wrong decisions made. Until we don’t think about Pakistan, until our game plan is not good, and until we don’t give good impactful performances, things won't improve much. All these issues need to be addressed, which are present within the team. The culture that has been building up in the team over the last 4-5 years. This is the reason why Pakistan's standard has fallen so low. Nobody is thinking about this."
 
While speaking on his YouTube channel, Kamran Akmal expressed his agreement with former England captain Michael Vaughan's comment that 'IPL is better than playing against Pakistan':

"Over the past few days, I have wondered why a former England captain is commenting and taking Pakistan cricket non-seriously. It has been a painful thought, but I think he was correct in his assessment."

"Everybody knows the level of Pakistan cricket. We are losing against smaller teams like Ireland and in that sense Vaughan said that it is not a tough series. So the fault is ours. Had it been any other team like New Zealand, South Africa and India then Vaughan would not have said it."

"We need to understand that in IPL, the best bowlers and batters are participating with crowds of 40 to 50,000. So it is tough cricket and quality cricket."

"The state of Pakistan cricket may be in need of a revamp, but this also presents an opportunity for growth. How do we respond to Vaughan's critique? By showing our mettle in the upcoming T20 series against England. Let's use this as a catalyst to regain our confidence and competitiveness, lest even teams like USA start to see us as an easy target."

"The Pakistan cricket Chairman is to blame for all of this as he has completely ruffled the system. For now it remains to be seen if Pakistan cricket team rises to the situation or keeps playing in the same zone as they have done till now."
 
Kamran Akmal lashes out at the Pakistan team's performance in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024 during a program on a local channel:

"The Pakistan men's cricket team should not play against men's teams; they should play against the Australia women's cricket team and England women's cricket team. They have brought the team's standards to this level now. It's all because of ego."

"We're talking about Usama Mir, Sahibzada Farhan, Haseeb Ullah, and guys like Umar Akmal and Ahmed Shehzad with allegations of discipline issues. First, look at yourself and what you're doing."

"You sent those boys to the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 who aren't even fully fit, who can't even field for 20 overs."
 
Kamran Akmal trending on X for all the wrong reasons😆

Saw a clip of him where he said you shouldn’t give any overs to a Sikh (referring to Arshdeep)
 
Kamran Akmal trending on X for all the wrong reasons😆

Saw a clip of him where he said you shouldn’t give any overs to a Sikh (referring to Arshdeep)

Disgusting comment that really comes down to lack of education. He apologized on X but should have never uttered those words. Pretty disgusting and unacceptable.
 
Kamran Akmal lashes out at the Pakistan team's performance in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024 during a program on a local channel:

"The Pakistan men's cricket team should not play against men's teams; they should play against the Australia women's cricket team and England women's cricket team. They have brought the team's standards to this level now. It's all because of ego."

"We're talking about Usama Mir, Sahibzada Farhan, Haseeb Ullah, and guys like Umar Akmal and Ahmed Shehzad with allegations of discipline issues. First, look at yourself and what you're doing."

"You sent those boys to the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 who aren't even fully fit, who can't even field for 20 overs."
This is weird.

If he's referring to the fact that we hate Usama mir, Akmal and shehzad but are praising unfit players and fanboying them cause misbah, Babar and rizzu are the apple of everyone's eye, he's right.

However if he's advocating for the return of hasebullah, akmal shehzad etc, then he's a clown
 
Disgusting comment that really comes down to lack of education. He apologized on X but should have never uttered those words. Pretty disgusting and unacceptable.
After India got all out for 119, I saw a comment from one of the posters in yesterday's match thread that India is opening the bowling with Mulla and Sardar so they can blame minorities.

So, I'm not surprised by Kamran's comments; he's actually illiterate.
 
After India got all out for 119, I saw a comment from one of the posters in yesterday's match thread that India is opening the bowling with Mulla and Sardar so they can blame minorities.

So, I'm not surprised by Kamran's comments; he's actually illiterate.

It’s unfortunate. You never use bigoted comments against others. More than anything, it’s unislamic and a sin, even when directed against non-Muslims. He should be ashamed of himself. I am more shocked others in the studio didn’t call him out.
 
The way Kamran Akmal is playing against the India Champions, I think Babar should learn from him
 
Showing his talent today against pace and spin both. He has so much range.
 
While talking about the second Test being played behind closed doors, Kamran Akmal, speaking in a video posted on his YouTube channel:

“The second Test match will be played in Karachi. So I think you know that there is a renovation going on in Karachi. They are preparing a stadium for the Champions Trophy. So it will be a joke of Pakistan that Test matches are being played in Pakistan without a crowd. And we don't just have 2-3 stadiums, we also have Faisalabad Stadium. We could have played there too, it is a top-class stadium. So much cricket has happened there."

“After that, there is a stadium in Multan. And you know that Multan stadium is very good. And the crowd also comes there. So you know that this is your stadium, you could have put another Test match on one of these two venues. So it would have been good. So I think it will be an international joke of our cricket. These things should not happen. So let's see why this venue has been decided."
 
While speaking on a video on his YouTube channel, Kamran Akmal criticized Naseem Shah's comments on the team's struggles, saying players should focus on unity rather than publicly discussing difficulties:

"Naseem Shah, what he said in the press, that's a little worrying point for me. That we will have to play as one. What does it mean? Didn't the team play with unity before? Such things are said in the media when there are such things in the team. So let's see. The team management and the PCB should end this what Naseem Shah said in the media or what I heard."

"God forbid that these things do not happen. And what the team needs at the moment, is only those who can take cricket to the top level, that’s just a victory, good cricket with good intent. And this is a good opportunity for Pakistan. Pakistan has a series with Bangladesh. They should win 2-0 just like they did when they toured Bangladesh."

"So the Pakistan team shouldn’t take batting so easy. But we will have to work hard. Because in the recent past, we have not played any good cricket."
 
Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal has lashed out at the players and management for not rectifying their past mistakes while speaking on his YouTube channel:

"Had Rizwan not scored a 50 and ran the scoreboard, you've would've lost by an innings. You haven't learned anything in the last 5 years. You lost to Zimbabwe. Last year, you were eliminated from Asia Cup. You were humiliated at the T20 World Cup. Made a complete mockery of Pakistan cricket."

"It was a difficult time for Bangladesh but their batters scored runs. They had to save the Test, and they not only did that but also won the game. They basically exposed Pakistan cricket. And our players were batting like club cricketers. Sorry, not even club cricketers play like this. The approach was poor. Players are having a laugh in the dressing room, there is no seriousness because they know nobody will ask anything. It seems that you are playing for fun."
 
Kamran Akmal talks about the system of domestic cricket in Pakistan during an interview on a podcast:

"You've created Regional cricket, but still, you don't understand that it's harming Pakistan cricket. You've made Regional cricket just to bring in money... What do players earn? Only 3000 PKR (10.78 USD) for T20 cricket and 4000 PKR (14.37 USD) for a four-day match as match fees. Is this even a decent amount?"

"Departmental cricket used to give us a salary, which was more than this. Instead of strengthening that system and investing money in it, you've abolished it. In the last 5 years, domestic cricket has been held with just 6 teams. You still haven't learned that Pakistan's cricket has suffered due to the abolition of departmental cricket, and you've taken away players' job security, which was their only source of earning."
 
Kamran Akmal Speaking during a TV show:

"When a main batter is batting with the tail-enders, they seem to take it so easily, scoring runs at their own pace and enjoying it. For example, how Litton Das, with Hasan Mahmud (a tail-ender), built a partnership of 70 runs, scoring 70 runs for the last two wickets. Honestly, when our tail starts batting, the mindset of our main batter is like, 'I should be a little more cautious in my approach, I should give 3-4 balls to the other guy.' What kind of approach is this? Is this Test cricket, or is it a joke with Pakistan?”

”In my cricketing days, I won't take any names, but one player used to put the Danish Kaneria ahead for 2-3 overs, giving him 4-5 balls to face. That player hasn't been seen in the playing XI or even the 15-member squad. We don't need such players. He was scolded on the ground and abused in a way you can't even imagine. Here, players get out for 20-30 runs, and no one asks them anything. If it was someone like me, I would say, 'Pick up your bag, after this series, go and play in the domestic league for 2 years. When you have learned to score 150 after making 20 runs, then they will think about you.' But here, these players are given more favors, sitting with their legs stretched out.”

“I was very lucky that my teammates were match-winners. Their mindset wasn't like nowadays; they thought for the team and played for the team. We would play with the mindset of contributing to the team. But nowadays, the approach is how I can establish myself and perform in such a way that I keep my place, regardless of whether the team wins or loses. No one is concerned about this approach.”

“They are making captains based on who can speak well. They don't consider whether he is captaincy material or not. I was rating Shan Masood because he has played everything: domestic, PSL, county cricket, and he was doing captaincy there. But when he came to the Test matches, internationally, the way he captained in those two Test matches; he doesn't seem like captain material to me.”

“Like we talk about Babar Azam, any captain should adapt according to the conditions, how to utilize the playing XI, field placements, and bowlers. We have been looking at those things, and there is no improvement in that. So, you should ask the coach or call the curators and ask them about the pitches. What's the fault of the ground staff? The fault is that we lack ability. We should be able to play well and dominate in our conditions.”

“Babar Azam has shown performance; every cricketer goes through a time when they struggle. We talked a lot about Virat Kohli as well, he was scoring 50s and 60s but wasn't able to convert them into hundreds. Right now, the problem with Babar Azam is that he is not scoring big runs; he is getting out after settling in. Today he got out like Abdullah Shafique did yesterday. The ball was outside off-stump, and his bat was directed straight towards the stumps. The ball was pitched on the fourth or fifth stump line and Babar Azam should have played with a full bat towards covers; that would have been better. These are small technical aspects that he needs to improve."
 
Kamran Akmal speaking during an interview:

“There is no way we will win a home series without a spinner taking wickets. My observation is that in the last three-four years, the management and captains have not shown patience to develop the spinners.”

“When Babar (Azam) was captain, he kept some spinners in the squad but never bothered to play them regularly. Unless spinners get constant exposure, how will they come through?”

“Even when we were forced to play in UAE, we won Tests mainly because of our spinners.”

“We don’t have pacers who are as strong as those we had in the past and yet we are expecting them to win us the series. The recent series against Bangladesh is an example. Where is Yasir Shah? Isn’t he still active in First-Class cricket? Where has Noman Ali gone? Didn’t he take wickets? Did he get punished? He had appendicitis in Australia, got operated on, and was then sidelined. What was Usman Qadir’s fault? What was Sajid Khan’s fault? What was Bilal Asif’s fault? All of them have taken five-wicket hauls and yet are out of the team.”

“Our batters are comfortable against pacers bowling at 130-140 kmph, but when they face a pace of 140 kmph or more, and they see that on the scoreboard during the match, their legs start to give way.”

“See how we struggled against Nahid Rana and Taskin Ahmed, who bowl 140 kmph-plus. Look at the way our main batters were dismissed.”

“They prefer to go and play in useless foreign leagues to earn money and this is not helping them develop their skills. This lack of commitment towards domestic cricket is leading to inconsistent performances at the international level.”

“But I think, as a professional, you have to balance your schedule and ensure that while you earn money, you also improve yourself as a player for your country.”

“He (BabarAzam) is unsure of himself and his off-stump early on and has this tendency to leave his leg-stump exposed. Balls that should be played towards cover are being played straight, and the bat doesn’t go towards the ball’s direction.”
 
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Kamran Akmal said that the Pakistan Cricket Board should adopt a systematic approach:

"PCB should learn from BCCI, their professionalism, their team, selector, captain, and coaches. These are the things that make a team number one and dominate the world. If we were so good, then Pakistan cricket wouldn't be here. It is because of your ego Pakistan cricket is suffering."
 
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Kamran Akmal said that the Pakistan Cricket Board should adopt a systematic approach:

"PCB should learn from BCCI, their professionalism, their team, selector, captain, and coaches. These are the things that make a team number one and dominate the world. If we were so good, then Pakistan cricket wouldn't be here. It is because of your ego Pakistan cricket is suffering."
Well this makes no sense

Pakistan is actually suffering because of its fascination to compete with India only and to model its team with key components of Indian cricket.

If people like Kamran are advising Pakistan to copy India and ignores Australia, South Africa or England…well there lies the problem.
 
Well this makes no sense

Pakistan is actually suffering because of its fascination to compete with India only and to model its team with key components of Indian cricket.

If people like Kamran are advising Pakistan to copy India and ignores Australia, South Africa or England…well there lies the problem.
Agree. People here have no idea how incredibly influential Kohli had become, which had lead to him to get what he wanted. Ramiz Raja's approach with Babar Azam was similar, but Babar, unlike Kohli, did not possess the same performance level or confidence. While Kohli had a remarkable record in Test cricket with his vision, his white-ball performances fell short considering the resources he had at his disposal. In contrast, Babar's performance in all formats was underwhelming because he had no vision. Australia has better plans. While the Board has done enough to produce players, our players become too powerful and develop a cult following. Pakistan is currently facing the same problem.
 
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