Kamran Akmal: News

A wicketkeeper-batsman who was an integral part of the Pakistan team of the early and late 2000s and a fringe player up until his retirement in 2017, Kamran Akmal is an appropriate example of how the profile of a wicketkeeper has changed in the modern game of cricket. Hailing from Lahore, Akmal's introduction to the team ended the selectors' conundrum in choosing Moin Khan and Rashid Latif. He made his international debut in a Test against Zimbabwe in 2002. He made his ODI debut in the same year against the same opposition. A dynamic batsman who was capable of batting equally well both at the top of the order and in the middle order, Akmal proved to be a valuable asset for Pakistan. Two of his Test centuries against India helping Pakistan salvage the Test from a precarious position are etched in Test lore. Akmal's wicketkeeping, however, came under constant scrutiny. A good wicketkeeper at first, his quality went down, and mistakes went up with time. His place in the team began to be solely based on his batting and the pedestrian wicketkeeping was tolerated. Akmal played his last match for Pakistan in 2017.