Kamran dropped for second Test..

redidentity · August 5, 2010, 7:37pm

I don’t know if Umar will perform or not..

Kamran Akmal has paid the price for his poor performance in the first Test against England at Trent Bridge, and has been dropped from Pakistan’s team for the second game at Edgbaston, which gets underway on Friday.

Akmal’s position came under fire following the Trent Bridge Test, in which he batted five balls for no runs in his two innings, while squandering a host of chances behind the stumps - most notably Eoin Morgan on 5, as he failed to gather a low edge from England’s first-innings centurion, and Paul Collingwood, whom he reprieved in both innings, firstly a missed stumping on 48, and then a first-ball drop in front of first slip, only moments after his one bright moment, a sharp leg-side take off Kevin Pietersen.

“I would say he has been rested,” Pakistan’s captain, Salman Butt, told Cricinfo. “He is having a run where he is not able to do what he is able to usually. But he now has ten days to just take his mind off the pressures that accompany when you are not doing well at international level. I’m sure he is a champion player and he will work hard to make a comeback.”

Team sources confirmed that Zulqarnain Haider, the 24-year-old reserve wicketkeeper from Lahore, will come in as Akmal’s replacement, and will therefore be making his Test debut, three years after a solitary Twenty20 appearance.

“I am very happy that I have been picked and I’m grateful to everyone who selected me,” Zulqarnain told Cricinfo. “I did expect that probably I would’ve played one Test, more towards the end of the series. But I never really expected that I would play in the second Test itself.”

With six centuries from 51 Tests, Akmal’s experience has tended to outweigh his propensity for poor performances behind the stumps, most notably at Sydney in January earlier this year, when he managed to reprieve Michael Hussey three times off Danish Kaneria, as Australia overcame a first-innings deficit of 207 to win a thrilling contest that, sadly but inevitably, attracted the interest of the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit.

All told, Akmal has dropped 34 chances in his last 28 Tests, and he averages less than 17 in Tests against Australia, South Africa and England. The first evidence that a change behind the stumps was afoot came when Zulqarnain lined up alongside the full slip cordon for today’s final practice session, with Akmal left to warm up alone on the other side of the field.

Zulqarnain was a member of Pakistan team that beat West Indies in the final of the Under-19 World Cup in Dhaka in 2004, and was named in his first Test squad later that year. He has been made to wait a long time for his opportunity.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Yousuf, who arrived in the country less than 24 hours before the start of the match, has also ruled himself out of contention, citing tiredness.

“I have just arrived after a long flight. I will not be training. I will wait for the management to tell me what their plan is,” Yousuf had told Cricinfo immediately after arriving to Brimingham.

Later in the evening he had a short and informal meeting over a cup of tea with the tour selection committee comprising Butt, Waqar Younis (coach) and Yawar Saeed (team manager) at the team hotel. “Considering the heavy monsoon across Pakistan Yousuf told us that he could not practice outdoors for the last 10-15 days,” Butt told Cricinfo. “So obviously we felt that was not enough match preparation.”

Butt added that Yousuf can now set his sights on the third Test at The Oval beginning on August 18. “He can relax for now and steadily get back into the groove in the next week and also during the two-day practice game against Worcester,” Butt said. Asked if he was a certainty for the final two Tests, Butt said a player with Yousuf’s pedigree he would walk into any team if he was fit.

http://www.cricinfo.com/england-v-pakistan-2010/content/story/471149.html?CMP=chrome

a1kashur · August 5, 2010, 7:54pm

Re: Kamran dropped for second Test..

Good decision. Let's see how Umar handles this... another back pain?

aaho · August 5, 2010, 8:16pm

Re: Kamran dropped for second Test..

I really dont know for what reason is Yousuf invited to this series if he has thousands of excuses not to play.

Long flight, No Out door practice. Then what is he doing there?

ehsan · August 5, 2010, 8:42pm

Re: Kamran dropped for second Test..

^ There are two test matches after this one, plus 5 ODI's.

saint_devil · August 5, 2010, 8:55pm

[quote]
"I would say he has been rested," Pakistan's captain, Salman Butt, told Cricinfo. "He is having a run where he is not able to do what he is able to usually.
[/quote]

well, he's been doing exactly what he is usually able to do i.e he's been dropping catches on a regular basis and has been playing a crucial role in our defeats.

With 34 drops in 28 test matches, how else would you define his "usual" stuff?

anamkhan · August 5, 2010, 9:09pm

Re: Kamran dropped for second Test..

uff chalo mairee aik dua to kabool hui...lol so glad he is out! its about time...now lets see how zulqarnain does!

HomiD · August 5, 2010, 9:29pm

Re: Kamran dropped for second Test..

Finally. Someone had the guts to do it. And finally someone who cares about this team and not friendship and seniority.

ManiaX · August 5, 2010, 9:42pm

Yousef shouldnt be playing the ODIS - Pakistan have a good ODI unit with younger players.

He should play the last 2 tests however.

As for Kami....34 drops? Unbelievable. About time he sits out. It does leave the batting even thinner though, with Malik being a useless time pass and Zulqarnain with no batting reputation. If the top order collapses, the likes of Malik and Haider will not do much.

Captain1 · August 5, 2010, 9:53pm

Re: Kamran dropped for second Test..

Looks like a dream come true! I hope Umar Akmal learns a lesson from this and spends his time on the crease instead of sofa due to 'back pain'.

Fayz · August 5, 2010, 10:40pm

Another example of how our domestic cricket is no value add. I hope the youngster can deliver under pressure.
Selectors' idea to 'rest' Kamran is to save their own ass...having a plan to win is secondary. Reactive decisions.

Man_with_a_Plan · August 5, 2010, 10:55pm

Re: Kamran dropped for second Test..

Dropping Kamran Akmal is a symbolic statement rather than a sign of change. PCB has been getting lot of heat after the dismal performance by the team and the selectors are using this to gain some sort of credibility.

Granted Kamran is poor with his gloves and is playing mediocre with bat, but he is still a good batsman. What would have been a good strategy is to drop Malik, play Kamran but not as a wicketkeeper so that we can strengthen the batting line up.

HomiD · August 5, 2010, 11:18pm

Give this guy a chance. The Cricinfo picture shows him to be much thinner and taller than Kamran Akmal. This is a good physical character, for diving and jumping for high balls over keepers. His batting average is not bad 34.5 and it seems that he opens for his club, maybe just that last First Class match that is listed under his Cricinfo profile.
Profile
http://www.cricinfo.com/england-v-pakistan-2010/content/player/43860.html
Last First Class Match
http://www.cricinfo.com/england-v-pakistan-2010/engine/match/427919.html

Captain1 · August 6, 2010, 1:55am

If the dude doesn't want to play as batsman-only then what can one do?

sherrybaba · August 6, 2010, 3:50am

Kamran Akmal as a specialist batsman? He is only specialized in tula bazi. I don't understand why ppl want him to play as a batsman in test matches. Maybe I missed his double and tripple centuries. don't get me wrong, I think he is an awesome & ideal batsman for T20 and decent enough to be in 50 overs format.

Sannan · August 6, 2010, 5:56am

Re: Kamran dropped for second Test..

I think Umar should also be out …

smooth_guy · August 6, 2010, 6:40am

Re: Kamran dropped for second Test..

Thank God!!!!!! What an endless pain he has been.

I think, Yasir Hameed should also play on Malik's position.

Fayz · August 6, 2010, 12:31pm

:k: for the management
Timing is everything