Pakistani Cricket Players: Umar Akmal

Umar Akmal Biography

source link (google.com)

Full name Umar Akmal

Born May 26, 1990, Lahore, Punjab

Major teams Pakistan, Lahore Lions, Pakistan Under-19s, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited

Playing role Middle-order batsman

Batting style Right-hand bat

Fielding position Occasional wicketkeeper

Relation Brother – Kamran Akmal, Adnan Akmal

Umar Akmal is a Pakistani cricketer. He made his ODI debut on 1 August 2009 against Sri Lanka and made his Test debut against New Zealand on 23 November 2009. He is a right-handed batsman and a part time spinner. Like his two brothers, Adnan and Kamran, Umar has kept wicket for the national team.
Personal life

Umar is the youngest brother of Adnan Akmal and Kamran Akmal who are also cricketers, both wicket-keepers.
Career

Early career

Umar represented Pakistan in the 2008 U/19 Cricket World Cup in Malaysia. After his success at the U-19 level he earned himself a first class contract and played the 2007-08 season of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy, representing the Sui Southern Gas team. He is considered a future asset for Pakistan cricket. He is an aggressive style cricketer. In only his sixth first class match he smashed 248 off just 225 deliveries, including four sixes. He followed that up with an unbeaten 186 in his 8th first class match, off just 170 balls. He fared less well in his second season of first class cricket, with a string of low scores batting at number 3. He found form in the final few matches of the 2008/09 season and then in the RBS T20 tournament thus getting the selectors nod to play for Pakistan A side on their tour to Australia A.

Australia A tour

Umar came to prominence during the Australia A tour in June/July 2009. In the two Test matches he recorded scores of 54, 100*, 130, 0. In the ODI series that followed Umar continued his fine form with a century in the opening ODI encounter off just 68 deliveries. These performances made him gather considerable praise from the media who were there to witness him and calls began to grow about his inclusion in the ODI series for the main Pakistan side against Sri Lanka.
Test career

Umar made his Test debut against New Zealand at Dunedin on 23 November 2009. On the third day of his debut test, Umar Akmal hit 129 runs from 160 balls becoming only the second Pakistani to score a hundred on debut away from home after Fawad Alam. This feat also made him the first Pakistani batsman to score both his maiden Test and ODI century away from home, following his ODI century against Sri Lanka. The innings was noted as special due to Pakistan’s tough position in the match and the hundred partnership which Akmal was involved in alongside his elder brother Kamran. He followed up the century in the first innings with a fifty in the second innings.

In only his second Test match he was moved up the order to the crucial spot of number 3, where he struggled initially but managed to counter-attack the hostile bowling with his natural flair, making 46 before he was undone by an inswinger by Daryl Tuffey. In the second innings he was moved down the order to his usual batting spot of number 5 as captain Mohammed Yousuf chose to bat at number 3 himself, and Akmal looked his usual aggressive self throughout his innings of 52 which came off only 33 balls. He had his first failure in the first innings of the third test at Napier where he was caught in the gully for a duck but scored a rearguard 77 in the second, promoting him to the leading run scorer of the series. Akmal finished the tour with 400 runs at an average of 57.14.

Umar Akmal’s early success was briefly tarnished by a controversy during Pakistan’s 2009–10 tour of Australia. It was widely reported that Umar had feigned an injury to protest the dropping of older brother Kamran for the final Test match against Australia. Umar denied such rumors and played in the final match without his brother. He was later fined 2-3 million rupees by the PCB for breaching his contract and speaking to the media without approval.
ODI and Twenty20 career

In an interview, Umar said “My own dream is to one day play for Pakistan alongside Kamran Bhai (Brother) and I’m working hard to try and achieve that goal”. Akmal was selected in Pakistan’s squad for the One Day International Series against Sri Lanka in July/August 2009. Having missed out on the first ODI Umar made his debut in the second match of the series replacing Mohammad Yousuf in the middle order. In only his second career ODI Umar scored his maiden ODI fifty. Umar followed up his maiden fifty by scoring a century in the very next match. For this match winning effort he was awarded his first career Man of the Match award. His exploits in Sri Lanka earned him a place in Pakistan’s champions trophy squad. He played two good innings. His 41 not out against West Indies was a match winning knock and landed him his second career Man of the Match award. His next big innings came in the semi final against New Zealand, where he scored a brisk 55 in a losing effort, before he was wrongly given out by umpire Simon Taufel, who later apologized. Despite the fact that Umar Akmal is not a wicket-keeper he kept wicket for Pakistan temporarily in the third ODI against England in 2010 from the 27th over onwards because his elder brother Kamran was being diagnosed for an injury to his finger. Umar Akmal scored 71 runs from 52 balls in his debut World Cup match and was named Man of the Match.

In February 2012 Pakistan faced England in four ODIs. Pakistan’s brittle batting meant the team management chose to play Umar as a wicket-keeper based on his batting, though his brother Adnan was considered the better ‘keeper. The result of choosing the less accomplished glovesman was that in the first two matches Umar Akmal missed opportunities to dismiss Ravi Bopara and Alastair Cook early in their innings, and they respectively went on to score a half-century and a century.
Batting and fielding averages
    Mat     Inns     NO     Runs     HS     Ave     BF     SR     100     50     4s     6s     Ct     St
Tests     16     30     2     1003     129     35.82     1520     65.98     1     6     117     17     12     0
ODIs     62     55     7     1830     102*     38.12     2150     85.11     1     14     143     28     27     2
T20Is     29     28     4     682     64     28.41     570     119.64     0     4     51     19     23     2
First-class     51     86     7     3787     248     47.93     5221     72.53     8     22     472     56     43     0
List A     87     79     10     2593     104     37.57     3018     85.91     3     18     195     45     41     2
Twenty20     59     56     11     1391     68*     30.91     1086     128.08     0     8     135     33     40     2
Bowling averages
    Mat     Inns     Balls     Runs     Wkts     BBI     BBM     Ave     Econ     SR     4w     5w     10
Tests     16     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -
ODIs     62     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -
T20Is     29     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -
First-class     51     4     96     54     1     1/0     1/0     54.00     3.37     96.0     0     0     0
List A     87     2     24     13     0     -     -     -     3.25     -     0     0     0
Twenty20     59     1     24     36     1     1/36     1/36     36.00     9.00     24.0     0     0     0
Umar Akmal News

WT20: India outclass Pakistan in World Twenty20 opener 22 Mar 2014

Dhaka – India extended their domination over Pakistan in World Cup events with a seven-wicket demolition of the arch-rivals in the Super-10 round of the World Twenty20 in Dhaka on Friday. Full Scorecard: India vs Pakistan WT20 Match in Dhaka Follow: World T20 | T20 World Cup |...
WT20: Pakistan bundled out for 71 by South Africa in warm-up 20 Mar 2014

Full Scorecard: Pakistan vs South Africa WT20 Warm up in Fatullah FATULLAH: Pakistan batsmen failed to make a good score against South Africa as they were bowled out for a mere 71 in 17.3 overs in their day and night warm-up match against South Africa in the fifth World Twenty...
Pakistan beat New Zealand by 7 wickets in WT20 Warmup 17 Mar 2014

Full Scorecard: Pakistan vs New Zealand Warmup Match In Pictures: Pakistan vs New Zealand Warmup T20 World Cup Match Follow: T20 World Cup 2014 | Schedule | Points Table Kamran Akmal and Mohammad Hafeez made the difference with stroke-filled half-centuries to guide Pakistan to...
`National hero` Akmal cleared in traffic violation case after cop `forgives` him 15 Mar 2014

Johannesburg : Pakistani wicketkeeper-batsman Umar Akmal has reportedly been absolved of all charges in a traffic violation case after the concerned police officer forgave him, saying that the player is a ”national hero”. Akmal was arrested in February for violating traffic ru...
Pakistan in good shape for World T20: Misbah 11 Mar 2014

Islamabad : Pakistan cricket captain Misbah-ul-Haq believes that his players are in good shape to perform in the upcoming World Twenty20 Championship to be held in Bangladesh from the middle of March this year. Returning home after ending up as runners-up in the Asia Cup, Misb...
Pak shifts focus to World T20 following Asia Cup loss 10 Mar 2014

Islamabad : Pakistan reportedly shifts focus to the upcoming World Twenty20 following the Asia Cup loss to Sri Lanka as a result of Pakistan”s failed bowling attack despite speculations over the team”s fragile batting line ahead of the tournament. Sri Lanka chased down Pakista...
Sri Lanka thump Pakistan for Asia Cup title 8 Mar 2014

Dhaka : Opener Lahiru Thirimanne hit a magnificent century to help Sri Lanka thump Pakistan by five wickets to regain the Asia Cup title in Dhaka on Saturday. Full Scorecard: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Asia Cup Final 2014 Asia Cup | IPL T20 7 2014 | T20 World Cup The left-hander n...
Malinga, Thirimanne stars Sri Lankas Asia Cup final triumph 8 Mar 2014

Dhaka : Pacer Lasith Malinga captured a five-wicket haul while opener Lahiru Thirimanne scored a century to help Sri Lanka record a convincing five-wicket victory against Pakistan in the summit clash of Asia Cup here at Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. Chasing a total...
Sri Lanka gear up for Asia Cup final with win over Bangladesh 6 Mar 2014

Dhaka – Sri Lanka battled hard to beat hosts Bangladesh by three wickets in the final league match of the Asia Cup in Dhaka on Thursday, reaching the final with a perfect record. Sri Lanka, who will meet defending champions Pakistan in the final on Saturday, restricted Bangla...
Akmal”s father ends sons traffic fiasco with written apology 6 Mar 2014

Islamabad : Pakistan cricket star Umar Akmal”s father reportedly tendered a written apology to the traffic warden, with whom Akmal had entered into a scuffle last month, ending the tiff between Lahore”s traffic police and Akmal. Akmal”s father has reportedly submitted a writte...