Is Babar Azam everything we wanted Umar Akmal to be?

[Bleedgreen4ever]

Being a young cricket fan that grew up in the 2010s I always compared Umar Akmal to Virat Kohli and his amazing performance in the U19 WC was a testimony to the fact that he had amazing talent unfortunately attitude always triumphs over talent.

It's been 11 years since U Akmal made his debut and just two ODI hundreds to his name. Now we see another batsman after almost 25 years that is worthy of being compared to the best of the world. Classy, keeps his mouth shut, scores regularly and draws a huge crowd. It's everything I dreamed of U Akmal doing. It just shows how discipline and hard work can sculpture an amazing career.

Extremely early to call him a legend considering Pakistan's recent histories of losing valuable players but so far so good. Still not the best in the world but definitely one of the best considering the fact that he bats for a team that does not have a very proud batting history.

Keep going Bobby! Hope you revolutionize the batting culture in our bowling dominated nation!

 

[Mamoon]

Actually, a 13 year old Babar was hyped more than Umar before his debut in 2009. I personally heard about Babar before I knew about Umar‘s existence.

Babar was always destined for success. A rare example of PCB properly building a player, step by step.

 

[sweep_shot]

Difference between Babar and Umar is, Umar tries too hard while Babar keeps it simple.

Umar used to focus more on showing off (green lipsticks, over the top celebration etc.) while Babar just wants to get the job done.

 

[big_gamer007]

Babar is a quality bat, the time where he could have gone the Umar Akmal route is now over. He is only destined to succeed now, question is whether he will retire as an ATG or a Pakistani Great.

 

[Shaddy86]

Actually, a 13 year old Babar was hyped more than Umar before his debut in 2009. I personally heard about Babar before I knew about Umar‘s existence.

Babar was always destined for success. A rare example of PCB properly building a player, step by step.

Does this mean PCB is capable of nurturing real talent but there's a genuine lack of it? Pakistanis love to go around saying that we have the most talented candidates but somehow they're mishandled or not given a chance.

 

[Ahmed216]

Hard work, focus and desire to be the best seperates babar from Umar

 

[zain7077]

Umar was always a bit loose. Babar’s righter defence and maturity is what separates the two.

 

[sweep_shot]

Pakistan needs more players like Babar Azam and less players like Umar Akmal.

Umar Akmal = jazba and junoon.
Babar Azam = actual cricket.

 

[Rana]

No,

Babar Azam is Tendulkar. You need that rock of a batsman to score at a decent pace. KL Rahul is everything we wanted Umar Akmal to be.

 

[Abdullah]

Why do we have to compare
After the early chance, I'm considering anything less than a double a failure.
He needs to right against himself to be able to face 3 4 500 balls.
We have all day tomorrow too

 

[Mamoon]

Does this mean PCB is capable of nurturing real talent but there's a genuine lack of it? Pakistanis love to go around saying that we have the most talented candidates but somehow they're mishandled or not given a chance.

Well it’s a combination of factors. You need talent, determination and also luck.

Babar was born with bags of talent, determination and helpful circumstances.

He was born in a family of cricketers - his cousin was already Pakistan’s first-choice WK by the time he got into cricket.

He had access to NCA coaching and the best facilities in Pakistan cricket from day one. He didn’t have to fight his way into the system and pay bribes like so many players.

His family is not hand to mouth and there was no pressure on him to do side jobs and earn a living for his family.

Moreover, he didn’t face any opposition from his family because he comes from a family of cricketers, so he wasn’t forced to get education.

From there on, his talent and hard work shone through. Obviously he isn’t the only one with such circumstances, his younger brother also plays cricket but can’t even break into the domestic scene.

If you have talent, you are determined and you have access to proper coaching and facilities, you will succeed.

PCB needs to establish NCA level facilities in all provinces and also boost school cricket which will give an opportunity for the kids from upper class and upper middle class to get into the game.

Cricket as a profession has largely been reduced to a poor man’s sport in Pakistan, and this has reduced our talent pool.

But we have said this for years now and nothing has changed, which is why Pakistan will only produce a batsman like Babar once 20-30 years and remain a mid-table side.

 

[JibranAnsari]

Umar akmal lost his way in too much limelight , early success doesnt suit our batsmen. Umar akmal should have had a full successful career but its a sad story of his stupidity and mismanagement.

 

[Saurav]

Apart from big hits,yes

That will come too as Babar ages and becomes stronger

 

[Titan24]

Umar was wrongfully dropped from tests at the age of 21 and average of 35. That along with his own issues and work ethics were the turning points of his career. To grow in any field only talent and potential isnt enough. You need some luck along with right attitude.

 

[IAJ]

Babar is averaging 400 in Pakistan lol, Bradman who?

On topic when Umar started of his career he was a genuine talent and made daddy hundreds in first class. But he had really bad attitude and never works hard. That’s why he is where he is today.

 

[Barragan]

Should be thanking Micky x100, otherwise he would have been dropped by the current management after his disastrous start in Test cricket because he wouldn't have fitted into their defensive startegy of batting.

 

[Minnowbasher]

Well it’s a combination of factors. You need talent, determination and also luck.

Babar was born with bags of talent, determination and helpful circumstances.

He was born in a family of cricketers - his cousin was already Pakistan’s first-choice WK by the time he got into cricket.

He had access to NCA coaching and the best facilities in Pakistan cricket from day one. He didn’t have to fight his way into the system and pay bribes like so many players.

His family is not hand to mouth and there was no pressure on him to do side jobs and earn a living for his family.

Moreover, he didn’t face any opposition from his family because he comes from a family of cricketers, so he wasn’t forced to get education.

From there on, his talent and hard work shone through. Obviously he isn’t the only one with such circumstances, his younger brother also plays cricket but can’t even break into the domestic scene.

If you have talent, you are determined and you have access to proper coaching and facilities, you will succeed.

PCB needs to establish NCA level facilities in all provinces and also boost school cricket which will give an opportunity for the kids from upper class and upper middle class to get into the game.

Cricket as a profession has largely been reduced to a poor man’s sport in Pakistan, and this has reduced our talent pool.

But we have said this for years now and nothing has changed, which is why Pakistan will only produce a batsman like Babar once 20-30 years and remain a mid-table side.

Agree 100%
Things still looking bleak for Pakistan and I feel forget mid-table we might become minnows in a couple of decades unless we seriously do something for our cricket. This generation is only surviving because the previous generation was good.

 

[Saj]

Don't mention the 2 in the same sentence.

One is on a different level to the other.

It shows that it's not just about ability, but common sense and work ethic is vital too.

 

[Markhor]

It's 2020 and we are still talking about what Umar Akmal could have been. Let it go and enjoy Babar's success without comparing.

 

[GreenKhan]

Umar was wrongfully dropped from tests at the age of 21 and average of 35. That along with his own issues and work ethics were the turning points of his career. To grow in any field only talent and potential isnt enough. You need some luck along with right attitude.

He had the wrong attitude. He was dropped from one format , but was given countless in other formats , and played several world cups !

His batting and his performances went downhill . I find it ridiculous that people make excuses about him behind dropped from the test side as a reason for his underachievement .
He has played over 200 matches and still not been able to establish him self in any format. He has had more opportunities than he deserves.

Let’s stop making excuses for him !

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

My eyes have gotten sore reading about the talent that Umar Akmal could have been. People here talk less about Asif and he was actually destined for greatness.

Umar Akmal had a couple of good years but the 3+ years of failure showed us the kind of player he was destined to be. He got enough chances and if he was destined for anything special, he would have achieved it.

 

[Titan24]

He had the wrong attitude. He was dropped from one format , but was given countless in other formats , and played several world cups !

His batting and his performances went downhill . I find it ridiculous that people make excuses about him behind dropped from the test side as a reason for his underachievement .
He has played over 200 matches and still not been able to establish him self in any format. He has had more opportunities than he deserves.

Let’s stop making excuses for him !

Definitely its his fault that he didnt have the right attitude and work ethics. However, if that was the reason for him being dropped from test squad at 21 years of age then why was he kept for other formats when he should have been dropped from all and should have been asked to mend his attitude to be considered again.

PCB should never have given him as many oppurtunities in the first place if they saw problems in his attitude and it wasnt like he didnt show such tendencies earlier. If PCB would have realized it earlier, either they could have invested in someone else or maybe Umar could have mended his ways after being dropped at a young age. Dropping him from one format where even his domestic record is better than other formats while keeping him in the team for LOIs year after year was wrong in my opinion.

Again there is no one else to blame other than Umer himself but PCB's half hearted actions did no good to anyone.

 

[ZamanFan]

My eyes have gotten sore reading about the talent that Umar Akmal could have been. People here talk less about Asif and he was actually destined for greatness.

Umar Akmal had a couple of good years but the 3+ years of failure showed us the kind of player he was destined to be. He got enough chances and if he was destined for anything special, he would have achieved it.

Sick and fed up of this bakwaas about Umar Akmal.

There is a segment here that wants to keep this ill-disciplined Akmal in the discussion. They don't have any cricketing thing to talk about so they repeat on his unknown talents. And try to hide his disciplinary offences.

He is not even relevant when it comes to Pakistan cricket. There are 17-18 batsmen from domestic circuit that were more than able to replace this well-backed Akmal from 2009-2016,who were lost due to the Akmal nepotism going on by PCB mafia. We've lost more than we gained due to this bloke and some still are on the hunt for U. Akmal's talent.

 

[sshakir411]

Babar knows he got to where he is by concentrating on his batting. Unlike the Akmals who lack integrity

 

[AdamM97]

Babar hasn’t let fame get to his head. Top lad.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Sick and fed up of this bakwaas about Umar Akmal.

There is a segment here that wants to keep this ill-disciplined Akmal in the discussion. They don't have any cricketing thing to talk about so they repeat on his unknown talents. And try to hide his disciplinary offences.

He is not even relevant when it comes to Pakistan cricket. There are 17-18 batsmen from domestic circuit that were more than able to replace this well-backed Akmal from 2009-2016,who were lost due to the Akmal nepotism going on by PCB mafia. We've lost more than we gained due to this bloke and some still are on the hunt for U. Akmal's talent.

What surprises me is how people here constantly peddle the myth about Umar Akmal's talent. True talent is that which manifests itself in the form of performances. Umar Akmal scored 3 centuries in his entire international career, two of which came in his first year of international cricket. Meaning he basically scored one century in the next 6 years and that too against Afghanistan. One wonders how he kept getting so many chances when it was evident he did not possess the ability to construct an innings.

 

[Hitman]

Unfair for Babar to be mentioned in the same sentence as Umar Akmal. Babar is on course to have a successful 10+ year career.

 

[Zaz]

Well yes A quality mature strokemaker who is non controversial and match winner A pakistani great in the making

This is what akmal shouldve been at 25 -26

 

[adzzy786]

Babar And Umar are sea and sky apart.

 

[Slog]

Umar Akmals game was never comparable to Babar’s.

Umar’s game was very limited in defensive aspect which was never a recipe for success

 

[Slog]

Umar was wrongfully dropped from tests at the age of 21 and average of 35. That along with his own issues and work ethics were the turning points of his career. To grow in any field only talent and potential isnt enough. You need some luck along with right attitude.

If you take out his debut Test, Umar was averaging in 20s in Test cricket and even there his most significant innings was in the 2010 Lords test which no one wanted to play. His cull was a long time coming

 

[kingusama92]

Babar was better than Umar by the age of 15-16.

There is no comparison.

Umar was talented as a teenager but had serious technical flaws that never went away.

 

[MenInG]

LAHORE: Pakistan Test cricketer Umar Akmal opened up about Babar Azam’s statement a few months when one of later’s cousins refused to lend him shoes in his struggling days.

Umar, while giving an interview to a local news channel, has clarified that he does not know which one of Babar’s cousins refused to lend him a pair of joggers.

“I have no idea which of our cousins refused to give shoes to Babar,” he said.

“We’ve always offered support to relatives who wanted to play cricket. I’ve never turned down a request. People who are close to me are well aware of this,” Umar said.

Babar, on the other hand, recalled his struggling days and shared the heartwrenching incident during an interview a few weeks back.

“I asked my cousin if he could lend me a pair of joggers, but he refused, claiming that he didn’t have any,” Babar revealed.

“I realised I had said something I shouldn’t have. I shouldn’t have asked for the shoes in the first place,” he concluded.

https://a-sports.tv/dont-know-which-cousins-refused-babar-shoes-umar-akmal/

 

[Maher96]

The stats BA stacked up are something I wanted to see Umar accomplish as well.