Umar dons gloves as Kamran looks on

Younger Akmal in line to replace error prone wicket keeper.

KANDY:

Umar Akmal was handed the wicket-keeping gloves during the early part of Pakistan’s training yesterday as his older brother, whose fumble-tally behind the stumps increased in the Pakistan-New Zealand match, sat and watched from afar.

As discussions rage on as to whether Kamran should be replaced following another horror show on Tuesday, the team management, delivering contradictory and confusing statements in the aftermath, dropped their biggest hint thus far.

While coach Waqar Younis ruled out Kamran’s omission, or even replacing him behind the stumps, captain Shahid Afridi confirmed Pakistan were keeping all options open with a final decision to be taken over the weekend.

“We can think about replacing Kamran after the World Cup but not right now,” Waqar had said on Tuesday. “We’re not going to panic right now. We might make changes for the next game but we have five days to think about that.”

Taking over the mantle

Meanwhile, at the Asgiriya Stadium in Kandy, neither Waqar nor Afridi were found near Kamran who sat out the early phase of the training that took place after a 20-minute football routine.

Umar, who took over wicket-keeping on Pakistan’s tour of the UAE last year after Zulqarnain Haider’s sudden departure, donned the gloves as one part of the squad underwent fielding drills. It was only later that Kamran was asked by Waqar to relieve Umar.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 11^th, 2011.