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Is KL Rahul going the Umar Akmal way?

big_gamer007

big_gamer007

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Before people jump the gun hear me out.

Before the 2011 World Cup Imran Khan was asked by Rajdeep sardesai in a TV show on India who is the next big thing in Pakistan.. His reply was along the lines “The kid Umar Akmal is the best thing he has seen in recent years”.

Akmal has played some great knocks early on his career and everyone who followed cricket expected him to carry Pakistani cricket for next 10 years like kohli is doing for India.. However his mental issues and lack of professional help from PCB turned him into what he is today.

Let’s face the truth Akmal has achieved more than what Rahul has achieved in international cricket..

However it seems now that KL Rahul is going the Umar Akmal way.. For all the hype and talent Rahul possesses just like Akmal his head is not in the right place and the constant in and out of team/bad management has finally got to him.

Both were very talented however have lost the plot completely.. It would be a shame if Rahul goes the Umar way but that seems to be the case now.

If Rahul gets dropped I doubt he can come back in test team again, eventually his career will be remembered as worse than Mr. Akmal’s.


So my question to all fans here is who will be the bigger loss for world cricket, of the unfulfilled talent: Umar Akmal or KL Rahul?
[MENTION=137142]JaDed[/MENTION]
 
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This can surely ressurect Rahul's career. Hope for the best.
 
He's a talent but, he should start performing CONSISTENTLY.

One problem I see is, his age which is already towards the wrong side of 20s. He will be 27-28 by WC and, if he doesn't prove himself sooner, then the juniors (Iyer, Samson, Pant, Agarwal, etc.,) will take his place.

Lets wait and watch till the next year or so.
 
OMG!!!!!

Last time someone opened a Verses thread against Akmal that player (Virat) went on to become a Champion Bat@

Will Rahul get Lord Akmal's blessings as well? :ds
 
Naah not a valid comparison. I don't think that like Umar Akmal, Rahul has any attitude issues. I wud even concede that Umar Akmal is perhaps more gifted than Rahul in terms of talent, but Rahul LL have a better career because of good attitude and desire to perform. It shows in physical fitness.
 
lol Indians really are desperate for a decent Test batsmen after Kohli making threads like these. :yk
 
Oh no. KL Rahul will now become GOAT thanks to this thread. :uakmal
 
Thank you very much.

4 tests to go. Up to 8 innings to make a mark.
 
Last roll of the dice for KL Rahul, if this doesn't work then nothing will :yk
 
In his earlier days U akmal was two times better than KL Rahul. He might have regrassed later in his career due to his arrogance and poor work ethic but u shouldn't compare a nobody like Rahul with someone like U akmal who has single handedly won many games for Pakistan.
 
While delusion is not good to be in, but hope should always be there.

I think Rahul is a serious talent and should be given even longer run. He gives me a vibe similar to ABD of 2007-08, who eventually went on to become one of the best batsmen from modern-era across all formats.
 
Joseph Gomes said:
Have to say, Rahul has been immensely overhyped. I was expecting big from him the way some Indians were praising him. But it was for naught.
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That thread by Bhaijaan was an over-exaggeration like most of his thread. I dont think there is much outside of that, except the belief that he will come good and also the fact that he wasn't getting enough chance.
 
Ab Fan said:
That thread by Bhaijaan was an over-exaggeration like most of his thread. I dont think there is much outside of that, except the belief that he will come good and also the fact that he wasn't getting enough chance.
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When is he going to come good? He is already 26.
 
RainMan_ said:
In his earlier days U akmal was two times better than KL Rahul. He might have regrassed later in his career due to his arrogance and poor work ethic but u shouldn't compare a nobody like Rahul with someone like U akmal who has single handedly won many games for Pakistan.
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When did he won us games??
 
Akmal seemed much more talented than Rahul at the beginning of their careers but Akmal is by and large finished. Considering Rahul is still out there and is a significantly better professional, I would think he will have a more meaningful career.
 
Interesting comparison. Akmal had a lack of professionalism and discipline which lead to his downfall. Rahul on the other side appears to be mentally weak. If I had to choose one I would pick Akmal.
 
Is KL Rahul going the Umar Akmal way ?

Both are talented batsman who had a bright start to their careers. Umar Akmal has already thrown it away, Rahul seems to be following the footsteps of his Pak counterpart.

1) Umar Akmal moved up and down the order which might have affected his performance and same thing might be happening with Rahul.

2) Both are marked as talented batsman.

3) Both averaging in Mid 30's as against their actual potential of 40+ average

4) Both are part time wicket keepers

5) Both love posting pics on social media

Have many similarities

Finally Is Rahul following his footsteps ?
 
Rahul should be dropped from the test team. We need him in the LOI's. Don't want guys like Rayudu, Karthik anywhere near Indian teams.
 
I wish he could end up like Bairstow who was dropped from test team and later came back.
 
Give him a break guys, scored fantastic hundred on the last day pitch in Eng. Agreed, KL need to improve his consistency but please do not compare KL to embarrassment UA :uakmal
 
Looks like a thread to supercharge KL Rahul's career by mentioning him in the same sentence with Umar Akmal. :inti
 
Good thread.

We want Rahul to be at his peak of powers when Kohli will be 33-34 and on last legs.

Hopefully, he will get things right and establish himself sooner as a quality batsmen across all formats.
 
[MENTION=139595]Ab Fan[/MENTION]
It's unlikely that KL will fade away because the Indian system knows how to handle top quality batsmen.

Apart from Vinod Kambli I don't think any other serious batting talent has ever gone to waste.
 
If rohit sharma can resurrect his career after 6 years of pathetic batting.
Why cant KL, he is not that bad at least.
Keep him till first 2 tests in Aus, hopefully he will deliver in next 3 tests.
Even otherwise he can comeback strongly after ranji season or county stint.
 
Imari Akmal Record against top teams was not that good. Pakistan desperately needed some half decent batsmen if not world class batsman, He didn’t even meet the bare minimum threshold of Pakistan batting requirement. This was when he hardly had any competition. They were forced to recycle. Rahul on the other hand is still in radar despite India has plethora of talents available.
 
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No Rahul is far better. Don't compare him with an in disciplined man like Umar Akmal. Rahul does not speak ignorantly of gaining weight by drinking water. He may not be naturally as talented as other batsmen that is not through a lack of effort. You don't see him more interested in dancing in weddings.
 
One aspect that will benefit rahul is, it seem like bcci has decided on rahul as a horse for longer race. It means he may be drop here and there but he will be on the radar.

He may not justify the hype but I think he will be okish in the following tours. If he finds himself back at that time, he could reach peak.
 
I think IPL success has negatively affected Rahul as an international player. He was never the overly attacking batsman, which last IPL made him to be and now he's caught between what he actually is and what he wants to be.
 
KL Rahul vs Umar akmal ...who will be suceed at the end

I create this thread because both KL rahul and umar akmal having similar carrier.Like promising in the begining but failed after that...both are talented good stroke maker..but both fail to play a long innings and gifted their wickets by playing rash shots..To whom you think suceed at the end of their carrier umar akmal or rahul?
 
Both have problems in applying themselves. Hard to say who will be better. As of now, since Akmal is out of favour of Pakistani selectors, Rahul is more likely to be successful. But I am not very hopeful given Rahul's attitude.
 
India seems to have given up on Dhawan and even Vijay in tests. They will bank of Shaw and Rahul. So Rahul's place is some what secure in tests.

Rahul is a very good T20 player and will continue to be part of T20 squad. His place in T20s is secure

Pakistan needs UA in ODIs more than India needs Rahul. This is where UA can Trump over Rahul if he manages to get a spot in ODIs. After the world cup, I'm sure the Indian selectors will start looking at Gill and Shaw instead of Rayudu, Jadav. If those guys play a few good knocks, Rahul is out as there is no spot for him in the top 3.
 
rhony said:
India seems to have given up on Dhawan and even Vijay in tests. They will bank of Shaw and Rahul. So Rahul's place is some what secure in tests.

Rahul is a very good T20 player and will continue to be part of T20 squad. His place in T20s is secure

Pakistan needs UA in ODIs more than India needs Rahul. This is where UA can Trump over Rahul if he manages to get a spot in ODIs. After the world cup, I'm sure the Indian selectors will start looking at Gill and Shaw instead of Rayudu, Jadav. If those guys play a few good knocks, Rahul is out as there is no spot for him in the top 3.
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Today again rahul fail to convert his start in to big hundread...how many possible chance will he get.
For umar akmal can he perform well in domestic and get select for 2019 worldcup?
 
Umar Akmal has failed. Full stop.

Independent of that, it remains to be seen whether Rahul will succeed or if he will be lost to the IPL.

It speaks poorly of us that we have not made the most of a couple of good batsmen with stellar Ranji stats when they debuted: Rahul and Rahane.
 
dravidthewall said:
Today again rahul fail to convert his start in to big hundread...how many possible chance will he get.
For umar akmal can he perform well in domestic and get select for 2019 worldcup?
Click to expand...

Read this somewhere:
Rahul seems to be confused between being a Sehwag and being a Cook. He is known to be technically strong in the domestic circles but his flaw against incoming deliveries was brutally exposed by England. He seems to think that hitting his way out trouble can fetch him runs and with Vijay going at a snail's pace , upped the ante. Those boundaries over cover were a delight to watch and tbh swung the momentum towards India's way. He got out trying to play a smiliar stroke.

Shaw is very aggressive and can potentially take some pressure off Rahul. Either way, Vijay is out and it will be Rahul and Shaw as openers starting next test. How he performs with an aggressive Shaw at the other end remains to be seen.
 
A lot of fine batsmen also get exposed to an in dip/inswinger but when Rahul gets bowled there is something elite about him. Maybe with the way he walks back to the pavilion.
 
Umar akmal was the best talent in Pakistan when he comes out and even proved his worth in his first series in SL in Odis and NZ in tests. After that, misbah and afridi shifted him in Odis from 4 to 6 and even though he performed decently in Australia tests, he was dropped bc he failed against SA in uae.

Rahul on the other hand is not the best batsman in India but he looks good, Shaw already looks better and even Gill in Odis will surpass him. THOUGH I like both players, Rahul has got the backing of team management but akmal did not. Even if akmal had some psychological problems, you can hire specialists to help him since pakistan does not have good batsmen anyway. So if Rahul fails it will all be his fault and not using talent but akmal, even with his short comings it was the fault of management not using him well. If akmal had gotten the Babar treatment, you wouldn't have seen akmal averaging 35, still more than babars 34 with a better strike rate.
 
Abdullah719 said:
Well he seems to have forgotten how to bat, for starters...
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Yeah, he's completely lost his touch.

I've often criticized Rahul's reactionary batting approach but this seems more like a psychological issue. He's not THIS bad.
 
No there is only one Umar Akmal! A player given more opportunities then anyone else yet always failed. He's more interested in partying and dancing with ladies then scoring runs for Pak. Let him get on with it now. Have not seen much of Rahul but he will surely be more dedicated trying to improve his game then someone who is always unfit telling us how he gains weight by drinking plain water.
 
KL Rahul is going KL Rahul's way. This guy is just sorry excuse of a batsman. HE may come back. Rightnow he should be far far away from the team.
 
It is better for him to be dropped and sent to work on his batting and temperament in domestic cricket. He needs a break which will be good for India and him.
 
Don’t worry he is Indian and will def not end up an Umar Akmal. People thought the same about Rohot Sharma, but look where he is now. KL Rahul will rule over indian cricket.
 
Looks like that way.
But wont be lamenting about him like pak. Will be forgotten in the likes of agarwal, shaw, hanuma, gill, etc.
Onus is on him to work hard with coaches receive tips from greats and rediscover himself.
 
KL Rahul is done and dusted and don't want to see him playing for Team India ever again! He's a disgrace to our rich batting culture! Shaw and Mayank have already sealed their opening spots and Priyank Panchal should be the backup opener!
 
Tyler Durden said:
KL Rahul is done and dusted and don't want to see him playing for Team India ever again! He's a disgrace to our rich batting culture! Shaw and Mayank have already sealed their opening spots and Priyank Panchal should be the backup opener!
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He is in the LOI team against Aus.
 
I don’t want to sound cynical but i don’t rate any of current Indian bats apart from Kohli in tests. In 90’s likes of Akram, McGrath, Donald would have them for breakfasts. These are the weakest Aus team they are facing.
 
Cric_lover4487 said:
I don’t want to sound cynical but i don’t rate any of current Indian bats apart from Kohli in tests. In 90’s likes of Akram, McGrath, Donald would have them for breakfasts. These are the weakest Aus team they are facing.
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This is the bowling attack that helped them win the ashes 4-0
 
Need to go back to domestic and work on the game. Rahane too.

One or two county season stint would help.
 
Cric_lover4487 said:
I don’t want to sound cynical but i don’t rate any of current Indian bats apart from Kohli in tests. In 90’s likes of Akram, McGrath, Donald would have them for breakfasts. These are the weakest Aus team they are facing.
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There are just a handful of batsmen in the entire world that can barely handle swing, seam at pace. Even Kohli and Smith are suspect against high quality swing. Batting standards are not the same. But remember that you had to go all the way back to Akram, McGrath, Donald and that indicates the bowling standards have gone down too.
 
Rahul should stick to T20Is and FC for a while. Too many flaws in his batting ATM. The Rahul of 2 years ago would have feasted on this Aussie attack on the Sydney pitch.
 
He needs to spend quality time in domestic cricket and a mentor like Dravid/Kumble will help. He is out for a year at least IMO, time away from Team India will be mercy for the poor guy.
 
Rahul is a player who enjoys goodwill, most Indian fans desperately want him to do well and have shown enormous patience. Same with experts and ex-players. It is up to him whether he wants to work on his game or continue to be distracted.

Gundappa Vishwanath ready to help Rahul regain his touch

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/india-in-australia/grv-ready-to-help-rahul-regain-his-touch/articleshow/67372306.cms

Karnataka has such a rich cricket history. Legends like Dravid, Vishy, Kumble etc will always be ready to help/guide a youngster like Rahul. It is totally up to him now.

If he doesn't recover it will be a loss for Indian cricket and the sport, I do rate his ability and believe that he can achieve greatness.
 
KL Rahul is not a Test Opener. He can't leave the ball on the fourth stump and does not have patience. If he is a good T20 player, he need to understand his limitations and stick to one format. Gavaskar was the last decent test opener India have produced. In Indian conditions they can open with Prabakar, Mongia, Ajay Jadeja or even Murali Vijay and get away with it, but in overseas conditions, it's very hard to win games without decent openers who can see the new ball away.
 
Bhaag Viru Bhaag said:
He is in the ODI team too. Do you think that will help him?
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No. I prefer he be given a break from national duty. Ranji season is on, ideally he should take the first flight home after the SCG test and join his team. He needs to hone his game in FC, not sitting on benches (he isn't making the ODI XI surely) clapping for others and sightseeing in Australia.

Also I wish he stops playing IPL temporarily and tries for a county stint but who am I kidding? In fact I am hoping he isn't selected for the WC squad, so that he can play CC. We are't scheduled to play a test until late July, 2019.
 
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Iirc he has smashed everyone in Ranji. He needs challenge and I think only county will provide him that.

Rahane needs a break too
 
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