No doubt Akmal is a good alrounder but every player goes through ups and down during a career. It is important for team management to groom a youngster. Since no chance to tie the series, and every new innings putting more and more pressure on Akmal, therefore, team management should rest him for side game and allow Haider a chance to play side game and the final test. Hope Akmal will be fresh and all fired up for ODIs.
If we look at the overall performance of the team, I think beside openers, Akmal was the biggest disappiontment both with gloves and bat. Imagine if he was holding on to both catches of Trescothic when he was on 6 and 7, and England was at 22 (they went on to add 160+ for first wicket). Who knows Pakistan may have restricted them to 250, and then without any serious pressure they could have scored these runs, with much lower required run rate.
Akmal was okay in the series, not his usual brilliant behind wickets. It definitely is a good idea to groom another keeper on the side not because of Akmal's performance but for reserve in case he gets injured or something.
Just few months ago every body was saying,he,s best young wicket keeper in the world,Probably best in the world against spinners,Just 1 bad series and every body is demanding his head,give him a break,he will be back at his very best soon ,with a BANG,i,m sure of that.just remember Karachi,Performance of lifetime.
I think there is no doubt about his skills and alround performances. He saved series and he woned series for Pakistan. But every one goes through bad patches in career, and instead of putting more pressure through bad performance, it is better to rest him and bring him back for ODIs.
Leave the guy alone...you cant be good all the time...hes up there with Sangakkara as the best keeper batsman in the world...you cant judge him on one series...
But as for keeper incase he gets injred...i heard his brother Adnan is a decent keeper...
BTW he is the only player in the 11 (outside of Inzi, Younus and Yousaf) to score a half century in the three tests. Poor kid needs a break. I don't know why we cannot take defeat gracefully
England played better than us end of story. Rather than getting emotional about it we should rather look at how to improve and at least win the next test