Pakistan saw at least two vital and easy dismissals drop out of their hands thanks to shoddy wicket-keeping from Kamran Akmal. Andrew Strauss’s straightforward caught-behind chance in the fifth over could have proved much costlier than it did. The second chance that he missed was one of the easiest stumping opportunities one can recall. Here, Paul Collingwood had walked such a long way down the crease that had Kamran caught the ball in the second attempt, even then he would have been able to knock the bails off. However, it was not to be and so a vital chance to break England’s best partnership came and went. Collingwood was on 48 then and he is still batting on 77 while Pakistan continue their search for a breakthrough.
This is not the first time Kamran Akmal’s ‘keeping has cost Pakistan so heavily. Who doesn’t remember Sydney 2010? Is Kamran’s experience and batting prowess really so important for Pakistan that he cannot be replaced by another ‘keeper? Should he play as a specialist batsman? And if he is replaced then by who?
Pakistan need to find answers to these questions fast or the series will slip out of their hands…
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Separate teams for test and one day. The shot that got out Butt was appalling–it’s a shame he is test captain! One day/T-20 that may be alright but not tests.
Bring in batsman who are technically correct and have a mindset to stay on the crease. I believe Fawad Alam may a better candidate. U Akmal needs to play around seasoned batsman to learn the game. Clearly a good and talented batsman. High time to change the wicketkeeping roles. If not now, when?
Kamran should definitely be dropped. In test cricket you need a keeper not a batsman pretending to be a keeper. not to mention that Kamran has failed as a batsman as well. We need a specialist keeper. I also think that Umar Akmal should be given some counselling, he is probably the best batting find in recent years for Pakistan and should be cultivated. Yonus should be in the this team which needs some good experience players.
Pakistan needs to get 436 to win the match. Well we all I know Pakistani batting, the whole team can be out twice or may be thrice for this score. But never mind like our country our cricket team is also in turmoil. God bless Pakistan.
I do not know what PCB is doing? They can’t see, can’t think, can’t judge and can’t hear anything. I am sorry this is not the fault of Kamran Akmal but PCB who is giving so many chances to these players like its their first of second game. Akmals, Malik and Umar Amin needs to take a break and Yousuf, Younis, Wahab Riaz and Yasir Hameed should be included in next matches. Wake up PCB! We have world class bowlers but pathetic fielders and worst batsmen of the world!
PCB should bring in Sarfaraz Ahmad, Yousuf ,Younus and Abdur razak back and let go Akmal brothers and Malik out and then see the results.
Abdul Razzaq is a thing of past now. I dont think he deserves a place in T20s… let alone playing him in tests..
England beat Pakistan by a crushing 354 runs in the first test match in less than 3 and 1/2 days.
The way we struggled to score the last 40 runs in the 2nd innings of the 2nd test match against Australia had already raised doubts about the teams ability.
This defeat against England begs the question, is this Pakistan Cricket Team the best that is available or is their a matter of ego and personality clashes and this is less than the best that could be selected?
Cricket board should remeber that it can not build castle on other’s bone. Mr Ijaz butt is not the right choice for cricket board. It is useless to expect good things from Pakistan batting line up and wicket kipper. Cricket board should replace Kamran Akmal and will have to bring back Muhammad Yousuf. Otherwise, humiliation is just in the way…………….
I am an Indian and happy with the Pakistan cricket state. Bad luck and your country cannot come up.
Open your eyes bro, we are discussing cricket here. Pakistan will come up in all fields and u guys will keep on having it on top of your agendas both @national and @personal levels. Poor You!!!
Dear Mohammad,
Thank you very much for your comments. I am very happy to know about your honest opinion. We know you now that you are an honest person. God bless you always! Ameen
Well this is what we expect from you, but what about the state of indian cricket. You must have forget 10 wickets recent loss, your team is only good in books nothing else.
Dear Mr.Indian,
You dont need to show your characteristic instincts of jealousy and meen nature.Pakistan cricket has been far better than the Indian since ages, (Statistics show them all) just like many other fields. Your country has a population almost 10 times more than Pakistan and still, you cannot produce one bowler who has the strength half of even Danesh Kaneria. Pakistan has been stuck with some serious internal issues like many other fronts, and will INSHALLAH come out with flying colors as always.
Classy. Real classy as always….
Pakistan is 10-2 in their second innings. They require another 5000 runs!
Please PCB, cancell the rest of the matches and bring these players home. Do us a favour.
Sorry I spoke too soon. They are now 15 – 3!
Ijaz Butt, leave your personal vendettas behind. Bring back Younis and Yousuf. They are the best test batsman we have. Why are you playing with our national pride. I cant wait for Ijaz Butt to retire.
After the Sydney debacle Kamran should have stepped down on his own. No question to be asked now. We have expample of Gilchrist who stepped down on his own after his form was down.
The chant for replacing KA is like beating a dead horse. He is there as long as the other dead horse Butt is there and they are both there as long as the patron of PCB is there. There appears to be almost unanimous opinion that KA is a lousy WK for a very long time but his influence in PCB is vey strong.
For those who say there is no replacement there are many however there will be none if you don’t give them a chance.
selectors should select educated and talented players only who can understand the game and learn from mistakes.only an educated player can understand the situation, game plan and can do his introspection from time to time.
I agree Kamran Akmal best fit for 20/20 and one day match but for test, keeper like Sharfarz Ahmed or Zulqarnain should be given a chance. Fawad Alam should be given chance in test match and one day along with Yonus or Yousuf. Since we have to build a future team for world cup. We should have combination of senior and talented young blood in the team
We have given enough chance to Shoaib Malik and Imran Farhat. It is time to give chance to other Pakistani talented players.
TEST Cricket is for specialists ONLY!….Kamran Akmal can play one days or T20s….This test was lost solely due to Mr. Kamran Akmal. Moreover, his brother is not Test material either.
And, what is with these cartoons Umar Amin etc?
Both Akmals are just playing politics in the team along with Malik. Drop them. Period.
I think Kamran Akmal best fit for 20/20 and one day match but for test other keeper like Sharfarz Ahmed or Zulqarnain should be given a chance. I am not sure why Fawad Alam not selected for test match. He best fit for one day and test match. He is one of the best fielder. He was anong the highest run getter in SriLanka tour in presence of all senior players. Also according to fitteness coah. He is the number one fitness player in Pakistani team.
Our bowlers are doing a fantastic job but because of our batting, we had to fight very very hard to win an easy match. If we improve our batting line up than we can beat any team in the world. May Allah give proper guidance to our selectors and they select right players.
Does anybody has vision for the game – from the PCB – to the selection comity – to the Manager of the team, it is just a matter of common sense which only requires “patriotism with will power” to select a best team for the sake of the mother land and not for their own likes and dislikes. Akmal brothers are not the test stuff, is a proven fact, but are still a part of the team, Yasir Hameed is sitting but Malik G is playing, how come Waqar is so sure to make a statement after after only one test’s performance of Umar amin and Azhar ali? that he is happy with their performance, Mr. Waqar – what is the performance of UA, after 5 important innings? Why the selectors ignored Khaled Lateef? without giving him proper chance? Why did they pick an unfit reserve wicket keeper? and finally what’s the hitch in recalling Yousuf & Younis? Is Ajaz Butt himself planning a comeback into the team? Or is it Mohsin Khan?
The current team is being lauded as a “new young tea”.
We all agree the performance has been only meager. We cannot do without Yousuf and Younis. Yasir Hameed has always had my confidence but never given the stretch of opportunity (like Kamran has received) to mature on the int’l stage.
Turn on the exit lights for Kamran, Farhat, Shoaib, Danesh. Umar Akmal(for now) or he might go himself if his brother is ousted!
Since we have a fairly younger and experienced team lets not stop here. Get experienced and fair selectors as well-hand another exit lights to some of these with the biggest light going to Ejaz Butt.
Pakistan cricket has let me – and you all down for a long time. We won against Australia and that was only because of the poor performance by the Aussies.
In my opinion, at this stage of the game we are in dire need of a solid batsman/batsmen like Yousaf and Younas. If there is a problem with them, give chance to Yasir Hameed who is better player than Shoaib Malik and Akmal brothers. Why is he sitting out on the bench as a spare player? There must be a solid wicketkeeper in the team. A keeper is one who rarely drops a catch. A keeper who makes impossible catches as solid catches for the team. In Kamran’s case, he has proven to be inefficient in the last three test matches. Abdurazzaq should be given a chance in place of Umer Amin.
May Allah show the light of wisdom to the high officials of PCB? Do not waste the talent of my beloved Pakistan. That is a moral duty for the selectors. How can you face people with such acts? It is simply ridiculous.
HERE IS THE BIGGEST LIE: Kamran’s batting makes up for his keeping. However, first thing first, Kamran is undoubtedly the WORST wicket keeper Pakistan has ever had. He is also the worst wicket keeper amongst 9 test playing nations. Secondly. his batting is also pathetic, just compare his batting with that of say, Dhoni, Haddin (Even Tim Paine), McCullum, Boucher etc…. he is at the bottom both keeping AND batting wise. In last 4 years, his best series behind the stumps was the recently concluded 2-test match series against Australia. No wonder we won one of the matches.
Drop AKMAL – not tomorrow, not today, do it 4 years ago. We would have been far better off !!!
As for batting line up, bring back Younis, Yousuf, Fawad Alam and do away with Malik and Akmal. Both Akmal and Malik are only made for limited overs cricket.
everybody seems right here,but tell me who will replace Kamraan,in pakistan there is not a single good wicket keeper
people like Rashid latif only talk,he has not produced even one wicket keeper
there are so many keepers in Pakistan who are much better than Kamran. Sarfarz is far much better than Kamran.
There are many wicket keepers in Pakistan who can replace Kamran but Sarfaraz is the best in available lot.
Do you thing Kamarn is a wicket keepr? no not at all. you may say him back stopper. He is not at all a wicket keeper. It is very unfair to blame him for poor wicket keeping. In fact the people who selected him for this job they are responsible.
Kamran Akmal stands almost at the bottom in terms of keepers, even within domestic season as well. I don’t understand what is technically wrong about Sarfraz…? I guess he does not have as solid backing as Kamran has. I do not understand what is technically good about Kamran.
@david
That’s what we Pakistanis do, we talk and talk and talk.
Basic cricket rule ” Catches win matches ”
Show the door to Akmals.Test team needs specialised players otherwise keep ombressing whole nation.
Team selection is a joke like any other affair in the country.
Rightly said so, our state of cricket represent our county state. Get rid of AKmals and bring some dependable keeper
I believe a keeper should be selected purely on his keeping skills. we already have six batsmen in the team and if they fail what will akeeper do? When a keeper fails to deliver it brings down the morale of whole team. Keep kamran for shorter versions and train a replacement keeper in tests. What if Kamran has to leave suddenly?????????
akmals shud b dropped give sarfaraz a chance….
akmals playing politics in da team…
Pakistan Cricket Control Board and Selectors have to be blamed for the team’s failings.The batting is so weak and unpredictable – selected batsmen have no test temperament. The lousiest wicket keeping short of any standard is clearly a result of favoritism and weird administration. What a shame the talented and experienced batsmen like Yousuf and Younis Khan are not allowed or selected to play on personal vengeance.
Same fate will follow pakistan in this series..we were fortunate to have afridi retiring after the 1st test against aussies..may be we need a couple of more retirements before we loose this series..