DUBAI: Talking about Umar Akmal, Lahore Qalandars captain Brendon McCullum opined that the 27-year-old batsman is a complicated guy, but an incredible talent.
While answering a question about his experience dealing with him, McCullum said, “Umar Akmal is a complicated guy. He has had his troubles, well-documented troubles throughout his career.”
However, the Qalandars skipper praised Akmal as an incredible talent and lauded the special innings that he played during his career. “He is an incredible player and he has done some special things in his career,” he spoke.
McCullum warned that Akmal would be an underachieving cricketer if he stopped playing right now. He cautioned, “If he was to stop playing now then it would be fair to say he has underachieved as he is an incredible talent.”
Advising him for future, the experienced New Zealand player suggested, “Sometimes you have to be honest and be receptive to feedback you get.”
Qalandars lost six consecutive games in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2018 before winning the last two games in which Akmal remained dropped from the eleven.
In a separate interview with the private media outlet, McCullum admitted that he had made plans to leave the Qalandars’ captaincy but the team management and players encouraged him to keep the position. He praised young talented players in the team, especially Agha Salman. “(Salman) is the guy who we can look for in the future,” he told.