In a way, he may qualify to be one of the most vocal on-field cricketers in the world. Just as vocal his words of encouragement maybe, are his performances behind the stumps. Unlike being directly influenced by what other countries did i.e. look for a wicketkeeper, who can primarily score runs and then don the gloves, Pakistani cricket selectors must be commended for the sole reason that their talent hunt was spot on with regards to choosing the man who knew what he had to do first. With an intense wave of wicketkeepers emerging out of Pakistan, it is in a way difficult for the selectors to choose the right man for the job. But, when it came to 22-year old Kamran Akmal from Lahore, widely regarded as the successor to the legacy left by Moin Khan and Rashid Latif, the selectors deserve a mention for making a brave yet confident decision.
Pakistan cricket has often earned the fame for producing international quality talents, who are raw and picked from the neighbourhood and things are not any different in Kamran’s case. So much was the talent in this chirpy wicket-keeping batsman, that first class cricket beckoned him at an age of 15, making his debut for Lahore City against Bahawalpur at Rahim Yar Khan in 1997/98. Although he made a blob in his very first innings, it was sheer talent that is the reason for where he is today. As many a Pakistani first class player would probably do, Kamran also swapped teams and employers, from Lahore City to Lahore Blues and presently he is playing for Lahore Whites. He is widely regarded as a wicketkeeper, with almost perfect footwork and agility who possesses loads of batting talent and a testament to that fact would be the heavy scoring that he has done in the first class arena. After proving his worth in the Domestic circuit, Kamran finally got a national call for Pakistan during its tour to Zimbabwe in 2002/03, during a time when Pakistan cricket was trying to find its lost space in International cricket. The national call for Kamran was a great tribute to his astute glove work and batting filled with many a classy knocks. Although Kamran Akmal has been one of those guys who has been in and out of the team, he is one talent Pakistan cricket can hardly choose to ignore.
International cricket has not necessarily been a successful playground thus far for the Lahori youngster. He has always lived under the shadows of wicketkeepers like Moin Khan and Rashid Latif, and only when the selectors found that they have been ineffective or injured towards the later stages of their careers, have they looked to Kamran as a replacement. But now, with Moin’s performances dipping and Kamran getting chances, its time for the acrobatic keeper to make it count. They have also identified Zulqarnain Haider, an 18 year old keeper as a future Pakistani prospect, so this should in a way motivate Kamran to perform better in the International arena to cement his place in the team. He is a clean striker of the ball and can join some of his colleagues with similar attributes like Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq in the one-day squad in the near future. But for now, its all about winning over the selector’s faith and trust and justifying his selection for Kamran.
It is time that his talent gets its due and his selection according tome is a step in the right direction. The key to Kamran’s success in the International stage has been the amount of exposure he has had in the Domestic Circuit. He can well be called as a “veteran” of 80 first class matches at a tender age of 22 and we can see the end result of all these matches. One just hopes and prays that the Pakistani management give Kamran ample opportunities to prove his worth, because he is a special talent and if mishandled, could be wasted. One also hopes that his batting takes off as that will also be an important consideration in retaining his place in the squad. We hope that he lives up to his potential of being Pakistan’s best wicketkeeper around and is plays a crucial part in Pakistan re-emerging as a force in International cricket.