Re: Akmal's keeping - a cause for concern
Well, Akmal has been better than he was 2-3 years ago when he was the sole reason we lost test matches and series. This test match was really lost due to Akmal's keeping foremost. The 2nd reason is our inept batting lineup that the PCB fails to acknowlege that needs to changed. The ODI squad will be announced in the next couple of days. They better have major changes in the players for the ODI, and include some up and coming middle order young batsmen. No Misbah, no Malik, no Faisal and no Farhat. Unfortunately, Farhat is here as long as this PCB Mgmt is in place because of susar ji being a selector.
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Here is an news article from Rashid Latif on this issue today:**
Poor wicketkeeping main cause of Pakistan’s defeat: Rashid Latif
ISLAMABAD, Jan 6 (APP): Former Captain Rashid Latif has suggested to replace wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal with Sarfarz Ahmad saying, “Kamran’s poor wicketkeeping is the main cause of Pakistan’s defeat against Australia in the second Test at Sydney.“Kamran dropped plenty of catches only in one innings which cost dearly to the team. If you keep on playing with a wicketkeeper like him, the chances to win will always be very little,” he said commenting upon Pakistan’s defeat against Aussies.
He said that technically Kamran was not fit for keeping as he was overweight. “Weight of a keeper plays an important role in his activeness. Kamran at present is 78kg, while he should not be over 65kg,” he said.
Rashid Latif, who was a member of Pakistan outfit which defeated Australia last time in 1995 in a Test at Sydney, said that he had been backing Kamran for the last two years mainly because he was scoring runs for the team. “But his recent performance as a wicketkeeper has made it clear that he is not fit for the task,” he added.
He said that he was unable to understand that why Sarfaraz and Fawad Alam were called back from Australia tour and demanded to hold an inquiry in this regard.
Rashid was also critical of Shoaib Malik and Misba-ul-Haq and said that these two players should also not be part of the team. “Their exclusion will not only end politics in the team but will also enhance its performance,” he claimed.