Today's Zero could be considered a lucky cricketer given that Zulqarnain Haider's fractured finger has allowed him to sneak back into the Pakistan side for the 3rd Test at The Oval against England.
Having dabbled as a wicketkeeper during our youth and also at times for Entrecasteaux here in the South of France, we like to witness a tidy display by the main behind the stumps. We deplore the trend for selecting a batsman that can keep instead of a keeper that can bat. Kamran Akmal is perhaps the worst example of this growing trend.
A man that has scored six test match centuries in his 51 tests is obviously no mug with the bat (although he averages under 17 in test matches in England, Australia and South Africa) and Akmal is particularly effective at the top of the order in limited overs cricket. That said he is hardly Adam Gilchrist, so his glove work would still need to be good to justify the fact he has played so much international cricket.
But as a keeper, he is a bad joke. Even the basics such as footwork and judging the correct distance to stand behind the stumps are distinctly lacking. No surprise then that Akmal is prone to the odd horror display such as at Sydney and Trent Bridge this year. Have there ever been two worse performances by a keeper at test level? To call them incompetent would be kind. Indeed, according to Cricinfo, up to and including the Trent Bridge test, Akmal has dropped 34 chances in his last 28 tests and we wonder whether that includes the missed stumpings too?
By the time this post appears, don't be surprised if Akmal has added to that dreadful stat. For being the worst test wicketkeeper in living memory, Kamran Akmal is a Reverse Sweep zero.
Akmal please make 100 in the next match.All The Best for ur 3rd ODI Akmal.
Posted by: tabu | Monday, September 13, 2010 at 12:45
Having dabbled as a wicketkeeper during our youth and also at times for Entrecasteaux here in the South of France, we like to witness a tidy display by the main behind the stumps. We deplore the trend for selecting a batsman that can keep instead of a keeper that can bat. Kamran Akmal is perhaps the worst example of this growing trend.
Posted by: cheap louis vuitton | Friday, May 27, 2011 at 11:47
That said he is hardly Adam Gilchrist, so his glove work would still need to be good to justify the fact he has played so much international cricket.
Posted by: sauna esofman | Thursday, September 01, 2011 at 22:52