Akmal is a smart cricketer, with a natural feel for his glovework and his batsmanship. Bob Woolmer decribes him as 20% of the team. When that vital 20% fails, the team suffers. Distinguished ex-cricketers have rated him highly, and after England's tour of Pakistan last year he was thought to be one of the best in the world.

Since then Akmal has had a tough time, dismissed too easily when batting and finding it hard to dismiss anybody when he is keeping. The talent is undoubted, the mind has been crushed by failure. In these circumstances it is a credit to Pakistan's management that they have stuck with somebody who has obvious ability and, when body and mind are in harmony, is capable of mastering the toughest conditions.

Introducing Zulqarnain Haider for the final Test would have been folly. The next mouth-watering encounter is too pivotal for a rushed debut. What this series has shown so far is that the battle for number two in international cricket is a tough one, an arena for experience not exuberance. Now that Akmal has rediscovered his magic touch with the bat, better wicketkeeping should follow--and he has to do both, he is not good enough to be played as a batsman.

Welcome back Kamran Akmal, a young man crucial to the balance of this Pakistan side, and a condemned man who today he earned a pardon for any number of fumbled catches and sloppy stumpings.

Akmal should be in the team.

From hero to zero and back again... a story of Akmal!

I don't think one decent innings is "the" turning point. His keeping has been shocking or rubbish at the best of times on this tour. I would be searching for a new gloveman as we speak.

That said... great innings, just what his side needed! Well done lad, well done!

Akmal was quite circumspect today at the beginning of innings. But he gradually became more fluent. His keeping has been shocking ever since the English summer. Now i really hope he can improve his glove work. Maybe he should give ian healy a call. He was helpful in australia. There must be something he is doing wrong technically with his keeping. He has been woeful. IAN HEALY, MOIN KHAN, RASHID PLZ HELP KAMI WITH GLOVE WORK IT WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. P.S WRITE ABOUT BOB AND HIS FUTURE WITH PAKISTAN

Pivotal is the word that springs up when I think of the keeper's job. The whole side practically "pivots" around the keeper when fielding. So, the one person that cannot be low on confidence is the wicketkeeper because his job is to keep the flame alive like a spark plug which keeps ticking and ticking because the engine stops if it doesn’t. Kamran Akmal, lately, had been so low on confidence that he was letting the whole team down. Danish Kaneria has especially suffered at his hands. It is undeniable that Kaneria needs a great keeper to be known as a great leggie – a luxury Warne enjoyed throughout his career.

While I do not entirely agree with you that Akmal has rediscovered his touch with the bat (his innings was streaky at best save for the last three or four shots) I was pleasantly surprised that you gave some credit to the management for sticking with him. There are some places where Inzamam deserves credit for his management capabilities and this I believe is one of them.

I hope this innings and the win gives Akmal the much needed spark to start enjoying his game again. Keepers must have a great sense of humor. They must be able to crack jokes with the bowler and the close-in fielders to ridicule the batsmen a bit to play those mind games. Akmal, on the contrary, has looked more like a boy lost in a crowd of men. He must know that, on the field, he has to be the big motivator through his body and verbal language.

I don't think Akmal has earned his pardon at all. One good inning does not justify many disappointing ones and a horrendous run with the keeper's gloves. But I agree it is too late to call up Zulqarnain Haider so close to the World Cup.

So sticking it out with Akmal is the only option but he still has a long way to go to redeem himself and his position.

I can't agree with you more on this Kamran. Good analysis and unfortunately, a viable backup to him isn't available at this moment so he has been the ONLY choice . Call it a weak management in this gloves department or whatever, regaining that TOUCH was very important for Kamran to stay in this unit. This is interesting to note that he has usually performed well when the team has been under pressure and someone had to hold one end no matter what. He proved that in India and now in SA as well. However, we are only optimistic that his rediscovery of batting (He has the skill to bat and we saw it once again today) will eventually lead to better wicketkeeping. With Worldcup round the corner, its hard to try another keeper but if the One Days go well Zulqarnain should be given at least one game in SA to show his metal as well. A backup should be gromemd now.

With three streaky shots through the slip and gully cordon before he started to middle the ball and gain in stature, this may be the break that Akmal was looking for. As wicketkeepers inherently do, Akmal has a good eye and only needed regaining confidence to be amongst the runs. It is crucial for the coach and team management to back him up and have him focus on his role as an allrounder. Adam Gilchrist has raised the bar on performance and, with it, of expectation from the wicketkeeper in modern cricket. With youth on his side, Akmal must rise to the standards associated with the role if he is to secure his place amongst the Eleven.

I don't fully agree with you. Today he did sort of 'undid' his wrongs, but one cannot rely on that. He has been the first choice wicket keeper but his form lately has been poor, both as a w. keeper and batsman. If you consider the fact, that he's a better w. keeper than batsman, I'd say he's actually been quite pathetic behind stumps. So, he still has to do a lot to 'earn' that pardon. He seems to be on the right path. He just needs to repeat today's performance more often and most importantly, he must find good form behind stumps.

Kamran Akmal is definetly a player for the future of Pakistan.. A talentad lad ran out of the steam to taken on pressure and just bad form.

He definetly has a fantastic future ahead of him and his talent should not be doubted. He's not an another... ermm... parthiv patel?

agree with you ,i want to bring your attention to selection of asim kamal though ,i think he is a solid batsman with good technique having added advantage of being a left hander, he shld be given a chance in the final test ,he shld replace imran farhat who is too flashy and never seems to be settled while at crease,also any idea where is taufeeq umar (he has best batting avg against south africa among all paksitanis...???

As luck would have it I will be holidaying in Cape Town during the third test match and should be able to run down to Newlands for the decider. I think the Ahktar saga has reached its natural conclusion, i.e., to the disabled list. Compare Lee to Ahktar. Lee goes from strength to strength while Ahktar goes from injury to misbehaviour. This surely must be the end of the line, even in the mercurial world of Pakistan cricket. If I were selecting the team for the third test match I'd call up Arafat of Rawalpindi and Sussex in Ahktar's place. The rest of the team remains unchanged.

Kamran sahib, Kamran Akmal's recent heroics with the bat is a welcome relief both to him and his fans. I hope that the recent form with the bat is here to stay and will continue till the next slump not to re-surface any time soon. However, I strongly believe that his lapses with the glove cannot be condoned because of his recent display of batting. He is a wicketkeeper and as such his primary role should be to keep with maximum efficiency. Batting though a second in order of priority has to keep pace with him being a keeping alrounder. Both aspects of his game have to be clicking most of the time if not all of the time. Having said that, it may not be a bad Idea to introduce Zulqarnain at some point in the very near future. One a little competition will keep Akmal striving and expanding his "comfort zone". Second, every team should at all times have an able back-up available to meet unforseen contingencies, like injuries or sickness. Now, in an effort to help Akmal regain his keeping skills the PCB (prized collection of buffoons)should provide him the benefit of working with some of our ex-keepers, who can perhaps help Akmal analyze his technique and make appropriate corrections. I am confident that Akmal indeed is a good keeper, but like everyone else; in our quest to move forward we sometimes tend to overlook the fundamentals.

BTW, on a seperate note congratulations to the Indians a shout out to Ganguly Dada great comback! AMF!

pardon for today only...if he has another game like this then he should be canned... south african lead should not have been more than 90 if he hadn't missed all those chances...and he wasn't that great with his bat either....just a lil lucky... however i don't want to see anyone new before the world cup...

Well played Pakistan on a deserved win. Well played for keeping your heads under pressure and staying calm and focussed! You can now relax for a while and need not fear your petty, disloyal and vicious "supporters". They can have nothing to say against you, at least until you fail again when you will be vilified individually and collectively by the ignorant and ill informed to soothe their own disappointment. Enjoy the taste of victory knowing you earned it even carrying the burden of your "supporters"!!!!

After hearing about how Akmal's father narrowly escaped what could have been a fatal incident I salute Kamran's innings even more. Having experienced something similar (ie: being far away from family and hearing about disturbing news of a violent nature) I can completely relate to how a person feels helpless and the mind is constantly focussed on the well being of your loved one rather than the tasks at hand. Kamran you showed a lot of guts, determination, and this will nto only make you a better player but a stronger person. WELL DONE!!

Ever since his Mohali heroics Akmal has gained in stature therefore his present bad wicket-keeping has been baffling.I think he might have been effected by the bad news about hif father in Pakistan but his courage and fighting spirit has never been in question.The real reason to his and other players' failing is too much cricket,too little rest and as you mentioned both the mental and physical need to be in harmony for the skill to realy come out.Present day cricketers are treated like commercial investment and as a result their form and health suffer.Akmal's feat is all the more admirable because he was under double pressure.Let us give him a standing ovation and pray that he prosper and prosper because players with his spirit and gusto are geniune match winners.

Akmal has redeemed himself to an extent, but had he done his primary job, this match would not have been the humdinger it turned out to be. Stil luck and skill played a hand in his innings today, and as you say, maybe this is the spark he needed to revive his fledgeling glovework. Over all, an excellent win by Pakistan, they are showing some real grit here, and it was a total team effort led by the incomparable Inzi !!Respect to SA for hanging in there till the very end. These two sides are trully worthy oppnents and pretty evenly matched.

I still think Akmal the stumper needs time off after the final test and rethink his progress. I, for one, think that he's been quashed by what Dhoni told him about Indian players' million dollar contracts with promotion agencies. Now poor Akmal has a hard time even keeping his place in the national squad. But you are right, the talent as we all know is undoubted.

One more thing I'd like to comment on: My heart and I am sure, the whole nation's heart goes out to the three bowlers, specially Asif for doing so much for the country on the 3rd day of this test. They did more than their best and I just hope they understand how bad we felt for them throughout that day and how we prayed for them. They've won our hearts. True Pakistanis!

I feel it is about time Zulqarnain Haider is given a chance to prove himself as a better keeper the Mr butter fingers or hands Akmal..... it is about time Pakistan make unpopuler decision on Akmal....we cannot have him dropping chances afer chances

It was pleasure to watch Kamran Akmal in full cry. He seized the show today. without his gallant knock victory was not possible. My man of the match Kamran Akmal

Akmal, though he was chancy, did win the game in the mind today. With Younis and the other middle-order Pakistani batsmen going the way they did, it was refreshing to see this bloke coming out and taking the attack to SA.

I am concerned to see Shabbir Ahmad making a comeback though. It is a folly to keep on going back to this guy, despite his decent record, since his bowling action problems are recurring, and from where I see it are not going to go away. Why wasn't Samiullah Niazi given a call-up given he had been on the periphery of the side for the last 7-8 months.

Akmal Still needs to prove a lot. Though it wouldn't be a great idea to drop him now after his performances with the bat in both innings, his glove work has alarmingly dropped down even from the first class standards. Still, he deserves support and management needs to dig deep for finding what is behind his wicket keeping miseries and rectify it quickly. He is such a talented young player and Pakistan can't afford losing him at any cost.

I think that in order of priority, players who should not be playing in the Pakistani team are Imran Farhat, Yasir Hameed and Kamran Akmal. However Kamran's performance with the bat has helped him, in my view, retain his position at least for the final test match. My concern is that he is a wicketkeeper first and Pakistan can not afford too many missed chances from him. On the other hand I would really like to see him do well because he has so much potential and unlike the first two players mentioned has actually shown it on more ocassions.

In one of your other articles I thought that Yasir Hameed should have been placed at number 3, I should have added only if Pakistan chose not to play Asim Kamal. Ideally I would return Younis Kkan to No. 3 and Asim Kamal at No 6. The openers would remain unchanged simply because in the final match in this series that may be one change to many when theer is at least one injury forced change to the bowling.

I agree with you that akmal has earned a pardon for right now. I believe his keeping off danish kaneria has suffered more than against a fast bowler. I hope he regains the form of October 2005 ASAP because the world cup is just a couple of months away. I also wanted to point out that third test might be last one for our batting great Inzamam.

Hi Kamran,

In all honesty Akmals innnings today was chancy and streaky. On another day he would have been out and his abysmal wicketkeeping would have cost Pak the test and series.

Until Kamran Akmal came to the crease to bat, the game was being played in a different mode, the strategy was to go defensive (except for the openers, who are always playing an ODI game) and Imran Farhat did not disappoint anyone by playing his favourite shot. But, Hafiz was rather unlucky to be given out LBW when he was not. He was playing with a positive frame of mind and executing very good shots.

Inzi and MOYO both played defensively, they looked unsettled and nervous hence they paid a price for that. Younis too, played defensively, but he played with confidence and authority till the end and he did not allow Shuan Pollock or Andre Nel to get on to his nerves. In fact he handled Shuan Pollock superbly when Shuan threw the ball at his pads in anguish and frustration to run out the batsman, that was so childish of Shuan. I liked the way Younis Khan smiled and then walked up to Shuan Pollock and gave him a pat on his back.

Wickets were tumbling around until Kamran Akmal arrived and he started playing a few edgy shots in the beginning which went past over the slips cordon. But, Fortune favours the brave, he then took all the SA fast bowlers to the fence. Rameez Raja said, "Akmal denied Andre Nel from a happy ending", as if the Pakistani batsman was massaging his bouncers! :-)

I do believe that this innings will bring back Kamran Akmal's confidence not only as a batsman but, also as a wicket keeper where his performance was below par. I do agree with you Kamran Abbassi that bringing Zulqarnain Haider may not work like a double edge sword, in fact like you said, it would be a folly, especially for the third and final crucial test match it is too big an event for a debutant. I would say that experiencing him even before the world cup is not a good idea. There is no need to rush and experiment debutants before the world cup, we don't have the privilege and the kinda players like Australia has.

I have said this before and I would like to say it again that, Kamran Akmal and Shahid Afridi must open the innings for Pakistan in ALL the one day games and they must be told that through out this World Cup they will be opening for Pakistan irrespective of their performance, it will give them a lot of confidence. Both are very talented and extremely good stroke players and both are capable of turning the games in Pakistan's favour and this is what Pakistan needs when playing against teams like Australia. Kamran Akmal and Shahid Afridi would be like the 1996 Sri Lankan duo of Kaluwitharna and JayaSuriya. If one of them fails, there is still a lot of batting, the 3 Aces in the middle order are always there to stop the slide, then you have Shoaib Malik and Razzaq to follow.

Bravo Kamran Akmal, but don't let this good work get in to your head, keep it cool like Younis.

I personally was disappointed in Akmal’s performance in England tour, and if anything else, I thought his dropped catches were the reason we lost that series. He continued his buttered gloves in this match too, including that missed stumping.

But I agree, he has talent, and surly, such a knock as today will help regain his confidence. The question still remain is weather his bad keeping in England and SA are lack of technique to judge and catch a moving/seaming ball or it is just bad form? Or maybe its just lack of experience on such pitches?

I have no doubts about his keeping skills in Sub-continent pitches. But something PCB should look into is arranging a coaching stint for him which will help in improving his technique on pitches other than sub-continent.

On an end note, I salute his (Akmals’s) innings today. More then once he has carried Pak in troubled situations.

Exhilarating batting by Kamran Akmal & Younis Khan. At 92/5 I had no hope in hell Pakistan was going to win. Infact I thought that was the final nail in the coffin. As they say "Kamran Akmal lives to die another day"

His 3x fours through gully and slip set the pulse rate pumping for all the pakistan fans and so was the run out & c&b chance that Younis Khan survived. I thought those were the critical moments that pakistan really had to survive.

My goodness me how well Kamran played after he passed 17. Just hope he can get his keeping right. I still believe its going to take more than the mental side of things to get Kamran taking clean takes. I think he needs a break from cricket. It would be ver tough to drop him from the 3rd test as Kamran says after his match wining performace.

I'd still be tempted to go with Zulqarnain and have Kamran open the innings in place of Imran Farhat who i think has been given too many chances.

Kamran plays alot like Sehwag and I think he's quite aggressive and could put pressure on the SA bowlers for the 3rd test. Word is that its going to be flat so Kamran would have alot of confidence in his batting but I still fell NOT HIS KEEPING. I'll give you an example...Irfan Pathan...did well with the bat but couldnt come right with the ball. I think the same is happening with Akmal and I dont think its going to solve the problem...so cumon Zulqarnain...get your keeping gloves on.

No ...he does not .
Akmal's primary function is wicket keeping and he is the worst in test cricket ..without a question. A wicket keeper batsman is a wicket keeper first and foremost . Despite his performance today ...he is half assed at both at his very best. He does not like wicket keeeping which is his primary function. See the match coverage from previous 3 series ..his body language ...devoid of enthusiasm. He might be a good one day option ..but test cricket each dropped chance costs you a fortune.His performance has been the same dismal stuff for almost two years now. Can't keep your eyes closed to a major shortcoming. He just can't keep wickets. Has dropped ..very crucial regualtion cathces and missed stumpings just as a matter of routine. It is time for a genuine keeper ...time for a change.

I totally agree with you Karmran. We should not rush in bringing a debutant at this crucial time of the year. Firstly, we have to win the final test to zip up all the critics who have stamped Pakistan test team as only a sub continent power house. Secondly, the World Cup is around the corner to introduce Z. Haider. But Kamran Akmal is living on a thin ice as far as his keeping is concerned. At this level it is unacceptable to miss LOLLY POP chances. But again, my support to the BHOLE NATH (he looks like a Bhola Larki) for his outstanding batting today! Bravo.....

The plight of Kamran Akmal is the main reason why I am hoping that the former Australian wicketkeeper Steve Rixon will succeed Bob Woolmer as the Pakistan coach.

In Australia two years ago Akmal looked like by far the best keeper in the world, but since then his footwork and anticipation have slipped because he has had no specialist wicketkeeping coaching.

Adam Parore had deteriorated similarly when Glenn Turner coached New Zealand in the mid-nineties, and it was only when Rixon replaced him that Parore perfected his technical skills to be the world's best keeper since Bob Taylor nearly forty years ago.

Akmal is a terrific batsmen and should retain his place in the squad. But the PCB needs to understand that until he gets specialist wicketkeeping coaching (and I don't mean Wasim Bari, who was less accomplished at his best than the 2004-05 incarnation of Akmal), Akmal will continue to drop chances.

And Zulqarnain is not Asia's second best wicketkeeper - Adnan Akmal is!

well done Akmal. This inforces the views that cricket is a game of chances,either you take them are miss them. Akmal might have cost Kaneria loads of wickets but he saved all his luck for this innings.. On another bad day he could have been out for duck and be out of the team. But he didn't lose confidence and made SA pay for all the missed chances. I hope this would give him confidence in keeping otherwise his keeping becoming a joke. As for whole of the Pakistan team, I hope they dont try to hide their shortcomings behind this victory and try to learn. Any other consistant team would have beaten SA even in the first test. Hope they win next test match and give Bob Woolmer good farewell because he deserves it. It seems he won't be signing new contract. Shame he tried to coach uncoachables.

I'm sorry Kamran but you should not be so generous to your namesake. Akmal has become a liability behind the stumps. He cannot remain as Pakistan's keeper, especially with the World Cup so close. As for his batting... He plays with blade open and is a compulsive driver. England worked his out but SA let him off the hook. If any of those 3 edges had found a pair of hands at slip, as they might easily have done, you would, rightly, have demanded that Akmal be 'rested'. So he should be. Another keeper deserves a chance. There was a time in 2005 when I thought that Akmal was the best keeper/batsman in the world. No more. He MUST be rested.

Well written article Mr Kamran. I've always like the way Kamran has approched his game. His one innings against India when Pakistan were 0/3 and 30 odd for 6. This young kid stepped in an played an innings of a life time. It was probably the best innings i've seen him play before he showed his talent in the last test against SA. I think Bob and the management have invested enought time in him to just drop him. He should play till the World Cup. Getting Mr Haider would only complicate matters. But his innings showed his class and abality.
We can only wish for good things for him and Pakistan from here on.
Cheers!!
Sameer
Malean,VA

Until last night I thought this test would be the last for Kamran but after his performance today I think he need not worry about that change just as yet.

Kamran is a very good keeper and a reliable batsman who is going thru a rough patch behind the stupms. This rough patch is proving very costly for the team hence he needs to do something about it very quickly.

Tanweer, Toronto - Canada

No doubt he has done a great job with the bat today. But his main role is behind the wickets, Because we cant experiment the new keeper in the final test match so kamran should be given one last chance. and we can experiment the new keeper in the one day matches.

Kamran, you are an empitome of why Doctors and for that matter non-cricketers, those who haven't played at least at first class level, should stick to their day jobs. Kamran Akmal has been atrocious from day one, he has been dropping catches right and left in every series he has figured in. His batting masked his pathetic performances with the glove for the most part, until the England series where his batting came apart. And no he is not natural with gloves, anybody who has played any representative cricket will tell you that, even the Dhoni's and Gilchrist's of this are light years ahead of him when it comes to keeping. He is not even the best keeper in his family, his brother Adnan being better. He athletic no doubt, but is butter-fingered, he regularly lets balls slip out of his hands even when the batsman is leaving the ball. If people are so obsessed with his batting, even though, his latest innings was scratchy and highly chancing, started off with a couple edges through the slips, then play him as a batsman. For God's sakes, let somoebody else do the glovework. He has already cost us the Eng series, and almost cost this test. Let not reward him further...

Even in this age of allround keepers like Gilchrist, poor keeping and good batting by Akmal (as also by England's Geriant Jones) does not continually justify a test place. From another angle, the target would have been much less if he had taken all his chances. But he did rescue Pakistan after another batting collapse (the real source of worry) and you can not begrudge him that. My man of the match would have been Asif for his 40 overs of toil in the heat of PE with a match winning return of 5 for 76.

Pardon....? Maybe for SA Series,

But on long run, Pakistan needs better Brain & Gloves, behind stumps. And Imran Farhat deserves to be rested for few years.

Congrats!!! to Pak team on leveling the series.

hi kamran
i hope this will boost his confidence.he does have tht counter attacking ability but as u said his wicket keeping has left alot to be desired in this series.A very very important win this for pakistan.One of the most important ones in recent memory.Pakistan needs 4 fit bowlers for the next test and wid shoaib and gul gone i hope shabbir and sami can step their game up a notch.goodluck to pakistan in third test.
nabeel

Akmal had a phenominal 2004/2005 and was correctly regarded as one of the best. He indeed struggled in England & in SA but I honestly believe this was merely a blip. His match winning partnership with YK will go along way to boost his confidence.

I do however strongly disagree with you Kamran-Akmal is good enough to play as a batsman. He proved his batting prowess in Mohali, Karachi (The best innings by a pakistani in recent times-I will go further and say better than any of MY's hundreds last year-that innings on a seamer friendly karachi wicket was indeed a super human effort)and not forgetting his superb knock of 150 odd against England at lahore).

Akmal has also proved he can bat big as a opener in the ODI format( I believe he has 3 ODI hundreds as a opener). Many new talents have been tried in our Test middle order and at the top in the ODI; save for Salman Butt how many have really come close to matching Akmal's batting endeavours?

I hope all those critics of Sami & Danish will now recognise their true worth to the team. finally, Akhtar should also be given credit-it was his excellent bowling spell that put pakistan in a postion to dominate.

KA should be dropped for the upcomming 3rd test. The chances he gave to the SA batters were the reason Pakistan had to score more runs. His innings with the bat was also a chancy one. He should be benched for couple of matches.

All players have lean spells even the great ones e.g. Gilchrist and Boucher of recent. Akmal has the potential to be a great keeper allrounder and should be persevered with. Credit to the Selectors in realising this. Hopefully this crucial innings will help alleviate whatever self doubts that were arising in his mind and allow him to reach peak form at such a crucial juncture with the World Cup just around the corner.

Why is it that in Pakistan, its always the player who has to suffer for the mismanagement of PCB. PCB is there to help the players, not to axe a player when he's not performing. Everyone following cricket has been asking PCB to attach an under-study (Zulqarnain) to Kamran Akmal. This will have a double-edged benefit. Zulqarnain would get a first hand experience of International Cricket on the highest level, and Kamran Akmal would have the feel of a threat to his place in the team and would work hard on his glove-work. But PCB never considered this idea worth following but occasionally. The debut of Zulqarnain at the 3rd test would be too much a folly for worldcup planning when every team is trying to play its worldcup11 together. However, Zulqarnain should be permanently attached to Kamran Akmal till worldcup atleast so that Akmal should be alert of the threat. Not sure about Zulqarnain, but Akmal, even if he doesn't perform with the bat, is a constant batting threat for other teams, just like Dhoni and Gilcrist.

PCB should think wisely, which they've shown that they are doing by selecting Shabbir Ahmed in place of Akhtar. Abdur Rehman should be the replacement of Shoaib Malik considering the Cape Town wicket.

Agreed Kamran. I had written him off midway through the test, because his keeping was so atrocious. He still really needs to focus and work on that.

His innings today, though, was a revelation. He changed the entire dynamics of the innings. The score was stuttering with Yousuf and Younis getting beaten consistently, resorting to risky singles. Inzy getting out on 1 only increased the pressure manifold.

Enter Kamran Akmal; granted, his early flashes were risky, but after that initial hiccup, he was fluent, confident, and literally took the match by the collar. It was not just his flourishing boundaries, but the ease with which he got easy singles, palpably lifting the pressure from the entire match.

Well done Kamran!

How appropiate for me (Kamran) to be writing the first comment.

I feel that Akmal is an asset to the Pakistani team, and he should be relugated to the same treatment that our openers have been subjected to.

I hope this success will improve his performance behind the stumps as he has already shown that he is a sharp wicket keeper by a stunning low catch that he took in the first innings

i disagree. when kamran was finishing off SA i feared that his exploits in the later part of the game would make people forget what had earlier transpired - and judging by this column my fears are well founded. at a rough guess KA dropped at least 4 catches, and with Imran Farhat in the team as well we are asking for trouble. dont get me wrong, i would love to see KA cement his place in the team for years to come BUT without an able #2 breathing over his shoulder ready to take his place he's on easy street as he knows his place is guaranteed no matter what he does. its up to the management to sort this out because what will happen in God forbid KA picks up a long tem injury before the WC???

His fall from the Heights, where he challenged the likes of Gilly, has been not only astonishing but painful as well.For me he should feature in Cape Town as the situation demand but sooner or later we need to groom a second Wicketkeeper. You Can delay but cant getaway........

Kamran Akmal is a good player for the team in terms of his presence. Dropping him would be atrocious as all players have bad patches. Bob Woolmer is a brilliant coach and this is displayed by recent on field performances. I have also heard of Kamran's young brother who i am eager to see in International Cricket. However Kamran should know that every player is droppable and continue working hard like the Australians. Would like to see Zulqarnanin Haider more in smaller ODI fixtures to prepare him, should Kamran be unexpectedly injured.

first one!
true he's been struggling but as some people were suggesting that the new bloke should be given a shot, i dont think that would have been wise move especially in a series decider and so close to the worldcup. After all, he has won pakistan a few matches! I think the new guy should be given a few chances to during the ODIs to create some contest for Khatmal. Oops, i mean Akmal.
Peace Out!

Nice piece of writing. Its essential to instill faith on your wicketkeeper, he's an integral part of the team. If he's down then the whole team's morale isn't the same.

just chill out akmal you`l be doing better next few games aren`t you ?

I think Pakistan should stick with Akmal till the end of the world cup. It is very risky but I stil thinks that he is a good batsman and can perform under tense situations rather then having zulqernan Haider in the side. New keeper has to gel with the team and learn the chemistry but that will not be the case with Kamran Akmal. And Akmal should get another chance after today's brave inning against hostile Nel and Nitini.

Indeed he does! Kamran Akmal played an important role in this historic win. He can deliver when it really matters. To beat South Africa at home is a big deal.
The more important question now is whether the team is prepared to win the 3rd match? Or is it satisfied with the prospect of a 2-1 loss to SA?
The hunger and determination of the team will decide the answer to this question. The key question is who can adequately replace Shoaib, who, even though he bowled only eleven overs made a vital contribution to this win. Even with Asif’s outstanding performance, Pakistan cannot win the third match without a real bowler to replace Shoaib.

Dear, Kamran..isnt it amazing that you have the same name as Akmal has...well infact why are you judging the performance on just one event. Let time decide what follows. but i would certainly like Akmal to be in top form in the World Cup. He needs to show his utility in the team and thats Vital for him and for the team, but i would congratulate him for his today's performance and always admire his ability to produce the best.

Well Surely that guy has rich talent and played a decisive innings... and to be honest.. I also dont want somebody else replacing him in the team at the current momemnt...

BUT STILL he should realize that his spot in the team is not guranteed and needs to keep on playing well...

This is what the concept of professionalism brings in cricketers.. the urge to keep on doing well for a longer and more continous period of time.. Rather than scoring one decisive innings and laying low for the rest of the series...

Its as simple as that...
YOU are being paid for what U do on the field..
So better make it count and deserving..

And shoaib should be marooned to papua new guinea... i love the genius in him for his ability to bowl what he bowls.. but hate his egoistic and cunnings self...
DOWN goes Shoaib !!..

Bravo anyway for the Men in Green..
AWESOME VICTORY...

One just has to think back to the innings he played against India in Karachi, amazing innings. This has been the best find for Pakistan in some time, I would argue he is more important than Asif. Pakistan need to contine to support him.

This was exactly what he needed a confidence building performance. Hopefully his knock will start him on course to rebuilding his confidence and we will start to see the Akmal of 12 months ago.
Your right about Haider's inclusion. Word has it he cant bat. isnt the tail long enough already?

Akmal performance is below average both in batting and in wicketkeeping. When he first come to international cricket scene he impresses every one. Saving a test match against arch rivals at Mohali in front of a capacity crowd need a lot of guts. By leaving him out the final test against SA will do no good to his confidence but in the ODI the team management can take a chance with Zulqarnain Haider since we need the best team for the World Cup

I am still not too sure about keeping Akmal in the team. Granted he was vital to Pakistan's victory today but one must admit he rode his luck. The way he played initially was pathetic to say the least. Ofcourse now that we have won everyone would praise him but the kind of shots he played when he first arrived were horrible and Pollock should feel hard done by not getting him out atleast three times.

There is no denying Akmal's talent as it was on display not too long ago and his name was mentioned alongside Sagakara and Gilchrist as the best wicketkeeper batsman around. But his wicket keeping has gone down a hill and for quite some time too now. This is a pretty long bad patch. Pakistan can ill afford to take this into the world cup where a missed catch or stumping might be the difference between the two sides. Zulqarnain should be give a chance atleast in the ODI's regardless of Akmal's form so incase he is needed in the World Cup he would have a little taste of international cricket. It would be unfair for a youngster to take over the job of a keeper in the middle of an important tournament without any real match experience.

Kamran, you are absolutely correct here. Kamran (Akmal not Abbasi) has a amazing talent as a wicketkeeper batsman and I totally agree that he is very important for the balance of Pakistani team especially these days, when they have such a long tail. I think bowlers like Sami and Rana should work more on their batting as well so that they can also help the balance of Pakistan team.

its true Kamran Akmal played very well but it is not that could be substituted for his terrible performance in the department he is specialized.if he had got those chances there would be any need for Pakistan to bat again.Gilchrist is a Great batsman but i don't think he would earn his place in australian team if his wicket keeping goes bad like Akmal's at least he would be playing as wicket keeper. Akmal has to put more attention on his keeping than to batting to keep his place.

Kamran's innings today has definitely redeemed him for some time but let us not forget his main task is to keep. Pro-Gilchrist era has raised the bar for wicket keepers to have more than average batting ability than ever before but with that said I certainly believe that Akmal is good enough batsman to be as important for team's line up as Gilschrist and Sangakara are for their teams. He is a great player under pressure (Mohali and Karachi to name a few important innings) and such players are the most valuable.
I dont think Pakistan was served well by the rivalry for wicket keeper position between Latif and Moin and such a situation should not be repeated. Akmal needs to know he is part of the team and the plans for the long term and we all know that he has the talent to win games with the bat even if at times he makes winning harder with the gloves.

There is no doubt that he is one of the best wicketkeeper batsman in the world. He is still young and he is learning. no doubt that he have very good crickteing sense. today when he came to bat pakistan was in all sort of trouble. when inzi got lbw i taught oh the match is over. akmal came in played his shots ans with younis khan he got pakistan home easily. he is one of pakistan players who plays like austrailia. he takes the attack to the oposition. he doesnt get under pressure and plays his shots all the time. i like his attitude. again today the umpires tried their best to make sure that we don't win this test match but hats off to akmal and younis. they played very well.

I do not think Akmal deserves any kind of pardon. His streaky 57 runs should not allow us to let him off the hook. If i am not mistaken he had about a dozen dropped catches in this game? He needs to go.

I would certainly agree with you Kamran. I was of the same opinion as most of the people are that Akmal should be dropped based on his recent slump behind the wickets however it has been proven many times that a confidence boost in one deparment of the game helps boosting the confidence in another department and Akmal should be given a chance to prove that fact.

I agree, Kamran Akmal's talent is undoubted. For some reason or another Akaml's form really went down the dumps after the India series. His batting saved the Karachi test for Pakistan but after that he hasn't had that great of an impact on any particular match until now. Hopefully for the sake of Pakistanis all around he will regain his confidence with his innings and will do some wonders with the glove on Friday.

After a frail performance, Kamran erratically lead Pakistan to victory with Younis.
Another let down by Shoaib. Injured where - body or in the head? What a waste of talent that does not came in decades!
As I'd suggested in the past return I. Farhat home. He is capable of sinking a ship.
But we must not deny congratulations to a well fought match.

I agree that Kamran has earned himself a pardon and that it would be awkward to introduce Zulqarnain Haider for the third test. However, Pakistan needs to be looking at the best possible combination for the World Cup and if Kamran's wicketkeeping does not improve during the initial one day fixtures against South Africa then surely it would be the appropriate time to try out Zulqarnain Haider.

Mr.Kamran,
Sometimes I feel pretty embarassed by your observations and u-turns.No doubt Akmal has played an excellent innings under pressure, good job! But the fact of the matter is, he is not even an average wc, let alone good. Remember wicket keeping is a specialists job,his batting is a bonus, come on we have genuine batsmen keeper,Gilchrist,Sangakara, Taslim Arif from the past who are/were better with their keeping.If Rana starts hammering bowlers and scoring 30s in every innings, will u just keep him in the team hoping his confidence will improve and he will bowl better in test cricket?It is not just confidence which is needed, u need skills and practice to go with, to be succesful in international sports. Akmal has serious technical faults with his keeping, he will continue to struggle unless he can identify and willing to work on his shortcomings, hard hands at the ball,improper position change with the delivery,poor anticipation of the line of the ball.He is a hard working player,I hope he can improve his keeping not buy his batting abilities,but some technical improvements.Another case in point is Imran Farhat,poor guy just does'nt have the technique or skills for this level,Hafeez scores less but with far much better technique,clear difference, poor investment to persist with Farhat.May try to groom Asim Kamal as an opener for the future,Pakistan has tradionaly never produced enough genuine openers.

Syed .........USA

Kamran Akmal, no doubt is a great player, What world can expact from a person playing on field when he recievs a news from his family that his father is hurt badly, in a robery attempt,
What kamran was doing in field was his loose focus on game and every thing about his father in his mind.

"He is not a bad keeper at all"

His father is out of danger now. So we pray for him. so contented is kamran akmal.
talking about his form back in England tour.. He was carrying an injury..
we believe in You kamran so are the abilities you are blessed with.. Keep it UP.. Good "come back"
we all are human so we should sense that what a person can feel when he recieve such a mishap with the family..
God bless U Kamran

I couldn't agree with you more Abbasi. This may just be the boost he very well needs.

WicketKeepers are themselves 'Batsmen', and are required [on average] to perform with the Bat, not just behind the stumps.

Well done Kamran!

-Peace!

I watched Kamran Akmal play today and one must not forget that he was very shaky and perhpas very lucky to survive 3 catches that almost went to the slips in the begning of his innings. The Point still remain that he does not have a good average and give simple catches on the OFF side to anything that is pitched outside his off stumps. I think we shoudl try out another option before world cup starts.

Too much hoopla going on in this blog. So without further ado, here's a point to ponder:

Play the new kid as the wc in the next test, drop farhat and bring in Akmal as a genuine opener.

Kamran is a true gifted talent. However, overconfidence is hurting him right now. It is not the good batting skill that keep you in the game it is bad keeping skill that keep you out of the game. Bari and Karmani never batted that well but they are magician with their art of keeping. However, it is lot more expected from keepers now especially in shorter version of the game. Kamran has one more season to make-up otherwise he will become another Patel. There are lot of Dohnis are waiting to jump on this opportunity. Hiring someone like Moin Khan and Rashid Latif to coach Kamran before world cup is a reasonable thing to do.

First of all Akmal success is taking pakistan home is vindication that players should be allowed to play their natural game especially in crises. Akmal is natural stroke player and has rescued pakistan in many ocassions through his natural sroke play and that is exactly what he did. Although, Pakistan was in deep touble, he continued with his natural way of batting instead of bogging down. Yunus Khan was also responsible since he took the responsibility of caution and Kamran became an aggressor hence creating judicious combination of aggression and defense.
As for Kamran Akmal Keeping, His prime job is keeping, no matter how much runs he makes if he is playing as a Keeper,he is selection should be based on his keeping credentails and performance.
If he is a good batsman than he may selected based on batting credentails. The runs that he made such as example 60 should take into account runs scored against him because of dropped cathes or stumping by the opponent batsmen who were given Life by his blunders.
So we must minus those runs of 60-75(runs scored due to drop catch or stump) Than his total score becomes minus -15 . Can any Player be seleted on minus score.
Bilal Tariq

I see everyone praising Kamran Akmal batting & Inzi batting with the tail enders. It is just disgusting to see how one can avoid the contribution of Shoaib Akhtar. He is the real reason why Pakistan won the test match in first place. Perhaps Mr Kamran Abbasi it would be good for you to write a article on him and acknowledge his extraordinary bowling that destroyed the South African batting order. (Even the South Africans admit it as the main reason for thier loss).

We need Shoaib if we are going to win any other matches against South Africa.. Mohammad Asif can’t do the job alone. South Africa made 331 runs in second innings which was a very good score.

The fact is Shoaib Akhtar is being unfairly treated by our coach Bob Woolmer who wants to end the career of such a fine baller.

Shoaib Akhtar performance that day didn’t prove that he was miss-fit from anywhere and yet again he has been declared Miss-fit which tells you that he is a victim of a severe controversy.

PCB needs to warn Bob Woolmer to mend things with Shoaib Akhtar and make up with his team or face some sort of punishment.

I am little surprised by your comments, because if Kamran Akmal had not missed all those opportunities, that came along, Pakistan would not need the runs, they had to score to win the match, Plus in Test Cricket teams go for the best Keeper, and right now Kamran Akmal, is having a hard time behind the stumps.Therefore I think it would be good for him also if Zulqarnain Haider, is picked for the third test.

just to add me two piece. Name me a wicketkeeper who at the age of Kamran Akmal has acheived so much. The greats, the Gilchrists, the Bouchers, the Healies and Stewarts were well into their 30's before they were well established Wicketkeepers. If memory serves me well Gilchrist didnt make it to the Test side till his late 20's early 30's. Now lets look at the young WK in the world. England with Read and Jones are Struggling. WI with Baugh and Ramdin are struggling. THis is because they are at a tender age and plus A WK has the main role in the field. For a young man he has surpassed a lot and will continue to acheive. Do not forget replacing Moin and Rashid is no easy job... they were class keepers. cut the guy some slack. Apart from Gilchrist and possibly Dhoni Akmal is the best WK/Batsmen in the world. Have faith!!!

Well, Akmal and Younis saved the game, but would Pakistan have been in that position had Akmal grabbed all the chances? It is time to introduce Zulqarnain Haider in the final test. He has an average of 30+ in the domestic, so he is a good batsman. If Inzi and Bob are too scared, they can play Razzaq for a bowler to boost the batting. Dropping so many catches is unacceptable for a esp. a keeper, its as simple as that!

It was nice to see Kamran Akmal come good with the bat. However, that does not excuse the dozen catches/stumpings he missed in this match. He is a great find as a batsman, and has contributed valuable runs in both forms of the game. For that reason, I would give him a chance to fix his glovework. He must be put through rigorous coaching, and will have to raise his game behind the stumps if he wants to retain his spot on the team. PCB would be well advised to groom a backup wicketkeeper to potentially replace KA if there is no improvement in six months.

I think Kamran Akmal has improve again what can he do under pressure like he did back in 2005 playing against India.

I think it's time for Kamran Akmal to give him rest for 3rd Test so he can mentally prepare for ODI series.

"JO JEETA WOHI SIKANDAR".Best defence is to attack
and that worked today to frustrate south african's
bowlers.Now is the time to shift focus on the decider at capetown.I most humbly request Younus
to stop taking sucidal and crazy singles in test
matches.He is the vice captain and should stop his
showoff attitude.He should work hard on his pull
shots if he likes to play them so much as since
Mohali he has been getting out mostly playing this
short in air.Mr.Kamran please make sure to talk to
Younus before the match starts.Good Luck.

v gud innings by akmal.need to b more consistent though, both with bat and gloves..n e way , no 1s talking about younis khan..45 and 67 not out is commendable

After Pakistan's victory the first thing that came to my mind was that Kamran Akmal has just saved himself from being dropped for Cape Town Test match. After watching a very one sided Ashes series in Australia it was good to see a fantastic test match which could have gone either way. Well done Inzy. Hope you get his hundred in Cape Town.

I had said it earlier and I will repeat it again: Shoaib Akhter is going to be a liability in the world cup. Sure, he will perform well in the first game, then he would limp out of the field during the next one and Pakistan will have to play one player short.

the no of catches dropped are too many.wicketkeeping is sloppy.why cannot somebody else can play a test .it is fear of losing place in the team.one innings can not justify retention.you have forgotten agony felt by kaneria for missed stumping of prince ,dropped catch of gibbs and kallis.how many byes he has allowed?i think in subcontinent if you get foothold in the team then it is very difficult to be booted out as was the case with wasim akram,ijaz ahmed ,saleem malik and moin khan unlike warne,mcgrath and langer.

well he once again proved the point PCB has been emphasising i.e. his batting abilities. after mohali and karachi it was now S.A. to witness his batting talent. It would have always been hard to drop him as World Cup ahead , but now its impossible however i still fancy that he may be rested or used as opener for Imran Farhat and Zulqurnain should have a go. let see

One swallow does not make a summer. He has missed more than 50 chances since England tour and one can only imagine how many Pakistan 'd have won had they been taken. he should be dropped at the end of current test series as a punishment like Ganguly, Z.khan and Irfan Pathan for dropping all those catches. Period.

I think Kamran Akmal should be kept for the third test as the innings he produced today was under extreme pressure..I think there was a very Australian-like approach to his batting..he nicked the ball through the slip cordon but didnt seem to mind a bit..just got along with the next ball..he scored quickly and that was what deflated South Africa very fast..

As far as his keeping, I think he has to practice in letting the ball come into his gloves..the reason why he is dropping catches is he is snatching at the ball rather than waiting the ball to come to him..its just a matter of mental alertness and an hour or so at the nets to get the reflexes going..

I do not agree . . . although I have been a big fan of Kamran Akmal. His batting exploits at Mohali and Karachi are unforgettable and should even make Gilchrist proud. Yesterdays batting performance was also memorable that brought a famous vistory for Pakistan . . . but Akmal is primarily a wicketkeeper and he has been a nightmare behind the stumps lately, especially for poor Danish Kaneria whose predictable variations are better read by the opposition tail - end batsman than our own wicketkeeper!

Be mindful of his first innings shot that almost brought the downfall of Pakistan innings, and his second innings start was also very risky. Brave, but very, very risky . . .

I am supporting for a change at this time. Zulqarnain Haider has a reputation of good batter as well as a decent wicketkeeper. This will be a good opportunity to try his skills out.

I am in total agreement. I hope Akmal can regain his confidence with the bigger gloves too. He has now saved quite a few Test matches for Pakistan.

Introducing Zulqarnain in the final test would be a blunder simply because Pakistan's batting is already quite frail. I dont think Akmal can have another keeping perfomrance as bad as the last one.

find an other keeper. had he taken those missed chances, he would have never been required to bat at all. find a keeper. in test cricket, a keepers batting is not a critical point, its his keeping. you are happy with his batting, keep him in one dayers where even Rahul Dravid kept wicket for two years. but in test cricket, no chance of any one who is not doing his main job. find a keeper or at least plant a professional over this guy to remove his technical flaws. i have been saying this for many years that no body removes the technical flaws of this team. i dont know why.

I had always thought that Akmal was misused by Pakistani team management. He produced his best performances when given a chance to open. I agree with Javed on the idea to make Afridi and Akmal permanent openers, atleast for odi's. That will make one hell of a pair to tackle for even the most pearless of pace attacks.

He is too good a cricketer to be dumped just like that. i mean a bad test match with gloves is something we have to accept as normal and can happen to any player under the sun.dropping catches are part and parcel of the game and i do not thing there is any other way of seeing it. bad performance by kamran behind the stump is not a very big issue. Moreover he is young and learning let him please.

He play realy well .But his keeping so poor.If he took his chances then pakistan can win this match easily.The world cup in corner and if he give that kind of chances to betsman then its difficult to win evrey time.He need to improve his keeping his 1st job is that.

If the pakistan line up for the world cup reads as follows:
Hafeez, Akmal, Younus Khan, Mohammed Yusuf, Inzamam, Sohaib Malik, Abdul Razzak, Sohaib Akthar, Umar Gul, Mohammed Asif and Shabbir Ahmed; and if all of them remain in reasonably good form, I dont see any team in world cricket today having any chance of beating Pakistan. The reserves should be Imran Farhat, Yasir Hameed, Rana Naveed and Abdul rahman. After the world cup, players like Zulqarnain haider, Yasir Arafat etc should be tried out. Pakistan's bigegst challenge during the world cup will not be their opponents, but to ensure Sohaib Akthar play to his potential without getting injured or entering into a brawl.

It seems that Kamran loves challenges as we can easily assess his short career that his best performances have come under severe pressue...Take a look at "MOHALI" and than at "KARACHI" innings.Well done boy!!!keep it up...But his wicket keeping needs improvement because only than Kanneria will be happy and get more wickets.

Dear Kamran:
Akmal has done enough to be pardoned. Anyways we sill have to post martom our team. To me Imran Farhat is useless and should gave the way to Asim Kamal. With Hafeez and Yasi opening, he is the best choice for No. 6. Another good news is the return of Shoaib to Pakistan has he always leave the team high and dry in Critical Moments. Sami is bowling well but without Luck. Coming Back to Kamran, he should be pardoned and hopefully he will re discoer his mojo.

Adios

Good article.

For once I agree with Javed from Montreal, Afridi & Akmal should open the ODI innings.

At least as allrounders they have the chance to contribute to the match as a whole if they fail.

A very good innings by Kamran Akmal but as many said earlier that his main job is wicket keeping where he has been awful for some time.

But I don't think that he should be replaced at this time when world cup is so near and I don't see a better / experienced replacement due to the fact that Pakistani selectors never tested any body else at the hisghest level.

One thing can be done now that is to refer Kamran Akmal to an experienced wicket keeper like Rashid Latif to work with him on his weak areas.

While Kamran Akmal does not earn a full pardon, in the absence of a better replacement he should be continued at least up to the Word Cup.

well i suppose his batting was good but i still think that pakistan should not have had to chase such a long target and hence not needed akmal's innings if he had clung on to thoese chances in S.A's innings...having said that i would rather want him to keep well and get out on 0 lol....
P.S: i have noted something strange with his red gloves...i think they are big on his hand and the ball hits his gloves all the time and slips out before he closes the flower hehehe..i m sure u guys will note that too in the 3rd test

Dear Kamran:
Akmal has done enough to be pardoned. Anyways we sill have to post martom our team. To me Imran Farhat is useless and should gave the way to Asim Kamal. With Hafeez and Yasi opening, he is the best choice for No. 6. Another good news is the return of Shoaib to Pakistan has he always leave the team high and dry in Critical Moments. Sami is bowling well but without Luck. Coming Back to Kamran, he should be pardoned and hopefully he will re discoer his mojo.

Adios

I agree with most of you that Kamran showed a match winning displayed, but i think he needs some rest as he is not performing behind the stumps. Had he not missed those chances (atleast 3 that i recall) in this test match, South Africa wouldnot be able this much runs and Pakistan wouldnot need 191. He gave away chances in first match as well, i think its time that Pakistan should use their second option.

Kamran Akmal should be commended for sticking it out with Younis Khan. However, one can look at it another way, if he hadn't missed stumping and dropped catches the target for Pakistan would not have been more than 100 and we were 98/5 when he came in.

Whichever side one takes on Akmal's selection, one thing is for sure... Inzi and the management are in quite a fix... To drop or not to drop, that is the question....

The way the first three batsmen are playing, I wonder if they might drop one of them and let Zulqarnain in as the keeper...

One more thing, till when will we have to put up with Imran Farhat's irresponsiblity... I dont know why but I feel that out of the crowd of mediocre openers, only Salman Butt has the potential of doing well in the World Cup...

Our desperation has reached the extent that a 50 run partnership by the openers (even in the subcontinent) is cheered as a a "brilliant start".

Right.. He batted superbly,but i would still go for Zulqarnain for the final test.WHY? because i think Kamran should open with Hafeez(yes Kick Imran Farhat out, hes only getting better at edging to Slips) and play Asim Kamal at number 6 and then Zulqarnain at 7.YES PLAY KAMRAN AS A BATSMAN for heavens Sake..and drop IMRAN FARHAT!
Shabbir Ahmad has been recalled..good call..;)

Akmal did manage to play an inning that was instrumental in Pakistan winning the test, but it was still a chancy inning. He rode his luck. On any other day he would have been snapped up in the slips, but not on this day. His keeping has been atrocious over the last one year and seems to be getting worse. He is in the team to keep wickets, but if he cannot do that then somebody else must be given a chance. We cannot find out how good or bad the next guy is unless we give him a chance. Sitting out seems to work wonders, look at Sami. Akmal might also bounce back if he is forced to sit out.

It's silly really not to drop him.... if he keeps on keeping like that, the for sure he'l drop 2-3 catches at least per match (if not 10)...the situation in which Pakistan were, if a normal keeper wud b there then Pakistan wont have to bat at all in the second innings...

No one can be a born keeper as it require some skill and Kamran is devoid of this.. even if Younas is given the keeping he may manage to hold onto more...
He hasnt redeemed himself with the batting as it was chancy and we all know he's no Ricky ponting that he will play like this forever...he havent even made amends of even one drop catch as noone knwo how costly it can prove... The three hapless bowlers had to bowl out 30 players of South Africa in the match coz of his 10 lapses ... he should be dropped immediately and a proper keeper should be included...
For those of you who think he's a good batsman, then he can be played as a specialist batsman but a new keeper should be selected who doesnt drop chances at all (and there are many in domestic cricket like that). Period.

Fine. I think Samiullah Niazi should be introduced in team. If he is included there is a left-right bowling combination which is always better for Pakistan. Consider the final match of the recent champions trophy, when McGrath and Lee went for runs, Nathan Bracken came to rescue, otherwise it would be an Australia's jinx of champions trophy. Another example left handed batsmen found left arm bowling difficult Vaas and Wasim Akram proved it.
Considering lot of well talented left hand batsmen around the world today (Gilchrist, Yuvraj, Gayle, Smith, Flemming etc.,) and the upcoming world cup, Samiullah should be in.
Friends write your views regreding this. thinks for all

Well done AKMAL... A great innings at the time of requirement.. This will boost the enthu..
Keep the good work going behind and infront of the sticks...

It was reminiscent of his innings he played in India to secure Pakistan the morale boosting victory. We hope, it will also help him regain self-confidence. Keeping in view his brave nature when he bats which is required to take the battle to the opponents, Kamran Akmal can be utilized as an opener in place of Imran Farhan who was just pathetic. Pathetic is not the word for Imran Farhat... even worse he was. Akmal does have the courage, technique and abilities to face new ball bowlers and he has done this job before for Pakistan. As an opener, he shall give a good start to the team and put the middle order batsmen as ease to play their natural strokes. To me in the present Pak squad, Kamran Akaml is the only alternative for Imran Farhat, since Yasir Hameed too has failed as a batsman in this series. I wish Akmal regains his magic behind the wickets too. It will be suicidal to try out Haider in the decider of the series. Haider can be tried out in one or two ODI to gauge him and give him a feel of playing on overseas pitches before the start of WC. He is an understudy for Akmal; and he needs to be groomed.

Well, well, well. Why should we pardon him !!!!!
In all fairness, if Akmal had done what was asked of him in the first place ....... hold on to catches, take regulation stumpings, forget having to score a streaky yet vital 50 in this innings to win a match - GOOD GLOVEWORK I BELIEVE, would have had pakistan winning without his contribution with the bat .... South Africa had no business scoring the amount of runs that they did. Its all about pressure, bowlers build up pressure take vital wickets and when going for the kill, AKMAL gives charity, feels the opposition sorry and drops a dolly, or for that matter misses a stumping that even some casual keepers would take ..... yes he did help win this match , but more importantly he almost caused the defeat ...... PARDON HIM, i don't think so, a pat on the back and a slap on the wrist is better.

WELL DONE PAKISTAN, and Inzi is the boss, no doubt about it.