Arthur dismisses possibility of Kamran’s return

LAHORE: Despite piling up runs in the domestic cricket as well as in Pakistan Super League (PSL-3), Kamran Akmal’s return to national team seems to be a distant dream and is not possible any more with the statement of head coach Mickey Arthur, who believes that he has been given enough chances in the past to prove his worth.

Former Pakistani wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal entirely failed to impress Arthur despite hitting the only century in the third edition of the PSL, the fastest fifty and the top in batsmen ranking.

Coach of national cricket team, Mickey Arthur dismissed the possibility of his comeback in the national team. He maintained the logic that the pressure in international cricket is one to all different from league cricket. He said that Kamran has been given sufficient chances to prove himself through comebacks, but he has failed to cope with the international situation.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Arthur complimented the Zalmi opener by saying that “he batted outstandingly, and is a really good batsman”, but then immediately questioned Akmal’s fielding talent.

Akmal, who has now become the leading run scorer of PSL, made 77 off 27 deliveries to propel defending champions Peshawar Zalmi into the PSL final, as they beat Karachi Kings by 13 runs at the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore on Wednesday. Akmal played for Pakistan in the series against West Indies in April 2017, making a return to the national squad after becoming the top run-scorer in the last PSL tournament. But he has not been part of the national squad since then.