Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal has said he still believes he will receive a call to participate in the national team’s upcoming tour of England, despite him being left out of the Test squad.
In an interview with PakPassion.net on Sunday, the 26-year-old middle order batsman said he still has hope of being called up for limited-overs format in England. “Well the squads have not yet been announced for limited-overs leg of the tour of England,” he said.
“So for now, I am living in hope like I always do.
“Let’s see what happens in the coming weeks because that will give me a clearer picture regarding my future [in the national team].”
Akmal has represented Pakistan in 111 one-days and 79 T20s in the past.
However, he was dropped from the squad of 35-man probables to tour England due to lack of performances and disciplinary issues last month by newly-appointed chief selector Inzamamul Haq, who announced that the new selection committee would be stern in matters of discipline.
Taking a lesson from that, Akmal said that in order to gain selectors’ attention again, he would have to exhibit strong performances wherever he plays and have faith in the meritocracy of the new selection committee.
“I just need to perform, get my head down and score lots of runs in whichever league I am playing in,” he said.
“At the moment my focus is on doing well for Leicestershire and then I will be playing in the Caribbean Premier League.
“I need to perform and catch the eye of the selectors; that’s all I can do and the rest is out of my hands.”
Nevertheless, Akmal lamented that the board and the management never showed him the support he needed to boost his confidence on the field.
“Confidence for a player comes from your captain, the management, the coaching staff, your cricket board and the media,” he said.
“Yet, sometimes I feel that I don’t get the backing and support, and that affects my confidence. It is often the case that playing in leagues around the world I am given more backing which boosts my confidence.”
The middle order batsman further urged local media to support Pakistani players rather than exploiting their flaws.
“I would urge our media to support Pakistani cricketers and help us in taking Pakistan cricket forward,” he said.
“The media needs to stop highlighting every little situation and making a big deal out of it.
“We cricketers have families too and it’s not nice for them to see negative stories being brought up and highlighted.
“If I receive support from the media, then it will have a positive effect on me and improve my results.”
Akmal believed his loss of form is down to lack of confidence in his abilities. The Lahori feels he has not been backed by fans and Pakistani media after his involvement in unethical activities on several occasions.
“The media needs to stop highlighting every little situation and making a big deal out of it,” he said.
“Us cricketers have families too and it’s not nice for them to see negative stories being brought up and highlighted in the media.”
“Our families struggle to cope with controversies which the media seems to thrive on,” Akmal added.
He said his form would improve if he got enough support from the media in particular. “I would urge the Pakistani media to support Pakistani cricketers and help us in taking Pakistan cricket forward,” the 26-year-old said.
“I need support from the media and if I get that then you will definitely see positive results.”
The Lahore-born cricketer did not seem happy with current teammates and management staff and said that he missed some former players who had bucked him up in his early days in international cricket, claiming that it helped encourage good performances.
Talking about his explosive Test debut Akmal said: “My Test debut was a special moment for me. My brother Kamran was with me at the crease when I reached three figures and senior players like Mohammad Yousuf and Shoaib Malik were around me and they offered me so much support and guidance.”
“I cannot express in words just how much confidence those senior players gave me.”
Akmal believes that for him to perform well, every stakeholder should support him completely. “Confidence for a player comes from your captain, the management, the coaching staff, your cricket board and the media… Us players just need confidence that’s all.”
The right-hander is currently in England, playing for Leicestershire in the on-going Natwest T20 blast.
He has scored 86 runs in his four outings for the county side, including a 52 not out in his first match.
