After the 2010 massacre of Pakistan’s reputation in the world of cricket due to the spot fixing charges leveled against three national team players — Mohammad Amir, Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif — it was hard to even imagine ever being able to recover from all that shame. Still under the captaincy of Misbahul Haq a team of sincere and passionate cricketers came together to pull Pakistan out of all that embarrassment.

Umar Akmal is one such player who has played his part in taking Pakistan cricket to new heights. Of the 23 series played since Jan 2011, which include one ODI World Cup in 2011 in which Pakistan reached the semi-final, one Champions Trophy and two Asia Cups, Pakistan has won 15 with one Asia Cup win in 2012 along with qualifying for the final of the Asia Cup in 2014.

It’s hard to find a cricket expert in the world who wouldn’t laud and appreciate Umar’s cricketing talent. Every cricket fan in Pakistan, too, hopes for him to perform up to his potential. Umar is a busy cricketer on the field, using all the shots and moves available in his inventory but its been a frustrating ride for the fans to often see him fall prey to wrong selection.

Meeting up with Umar Akmal at the National Cricket Academy’s indoor practice facility, one realises that he is a simple man. There was no sign of the kind of aggression usually associated with him, especially because of the recent controversy of his rumble with a traffic warden.

A heart to heart with the youngest of the Akmal brothers

How does it feel to represent Pakistan every time you enter the ground?

I am always thankful to Allah for giving me this opportunity. Each time I wear the green shirt, it’s the same feeling which I had waering it the first time. It was a dream come true when I wore the shirt the first time. So every time I wear the green shirt there is this feeling to win for my country, to make sure that I do justice to it.

When you were a kid, is that what you dreamed of or did you have other plans?

When I was a kid, I had no idea, no plans as such. I must give credit to former cricketer Aamer Malik, who said to me “Beta tum mein bohat ziyada talent hai, isko zaya mat karna [You are very talented, don’t waste this talent].” Also my club, Model Town Cricket Centre played an important role in my development. When I was 15 years old, I was playing under-16 cricket and I thought I can’t be a good cricketer, it’s not for me. But my club management kept me going at the time. They encouraged me and told me to stop worrying and keep playing. I thought if other people are putting so much trust in me then I should also trust my talent and ability.

Photo by Tariq Mahmood / White Star

How did you end up in cricket then? Was it a conscious decision?

During the 2007 Cricket World Cup, India was represented by Yousaf Pathan and Irfan Pathan. My brother Kamran Akmal was also playing for Pakistan. I was sitting with my father and watching one of India’s matches, when he said, “Kaash meray do betay hoan Pakistan ki team main, mera ser fakhar se buland ho jaya ga. [I wish I had two of my sons in the Pakistan team, I would feel so proud then.].” At that moment I set an aim for myself to fulfill my father’s dream. I started working harder to get into the Pakistan team. And now we are three brothers who play for Pakistan. I am very happy that my father’s dream is fullfilled.

Tell us about the struggle to reach the Pakistan team?

I am the youngest of my siblings so I was the mischievous one before I started playing club cricket. Most of my time was spent on studies and I loved kite flying. You know, at that time how good the kite flying scene in Lahore was? Kids nowadays look for shortcuts and if I tell them how much I struggled they might just give up on the idea of playing cricket altogether. For the first two years in my club all I did was be the 12th man and field or serve water to other players during the matches. There came a time when I started crying in front of my club’s captain asking him for a chance at least. So when one of the openers wasn’t performing well, I was given a chance against a very strong Shah Faisal Cricket Club team. I scored 56 runs then and ever since then I have kept my place in the club.

Which one of all the Akmal brothers talks about cricket the most at home?

We try not to talk about cricket at home but yes, sometimes we do discuss each other’s technique. If there is a fault that we identify in each other’s game, we do talk about it. We try improving our game when cricket highlights are being played on TV at home.

Among your brothers, who do you get along with the most, and what was it like growing up with them?

Being the youngest I get all the love. I share everything with my brothers. We have a lot of fun, we enjoy a lot together. When we were kids, we liked kite flying. Kami Bhai [Kamran Akmal] was good at it so I used to watch and learn from him and my other brothers. We used to play a lot of street cricket or we use to go with school friends to play cricket in the ground too.

What is your ultimate goal in cricket?

I want to be remembered among all the legends of Pakistan cricket. When I retire, I want the next generation to say that Umar Akmal served Pakistan with sincerity and dedication. I want to be counted alongside legends like Javed Miandad, Ramiz Raja, Inzamam ul Haq, Mushtaq Ahmad, Waqar Younas, Wasim Akram and Abdul Qadir. These people always played a pivotal role in the team’s victory. I want to be that player who has a part in the team.

The night before a big match, for instance before a final or a match against India, is there something that you do to prepare yourself mentally?

I enjoy the time before a big match a lot. The thought of a big match and the opportunity to do something special in front of a big crowd fascinates me. I know some players who lose sleep before a big match but I, on the other hand, sleep soundly to wake up fresh and call my parents to ask for their blessings. I also offer nafil prayers, which helps me relax. When we are on our way to the ground, I also listen to music to keep myself calm. Everything is discussed and all strategies finalised in the team meeting one day before a match so we know we are ready to take on the opposition. The key is to not overthink and play your natural game.

How do you celebrate a match-winning innings or a century?

Seniors back you up, they wish you good luck. Even if we lose or any player doesn’t play well, the seniors help keep our spirits high. On an individual level I call my parents and share the moment with them while asking them to pray for me so that I keep playing good cricket.

Tell us about your social life?

I hang out with friends but there is little time for that now. Even when we are not on tour our training sessions are scheduled so it’s hard to take out time. And you have to attend family functions and gatherings, that’s also important. My parents and brothers have taught me to be humble and not show attitude. I don’t want anyone to say that ‘now that he has played for Pakistan, he has an attitude.’

Are you satisfied with what you have achieved so far? Do you think with your talent you could have achieved more?

No, I am not satisfied with my achievements so far. To be frank, I haven’t achieved the goals that I had set in my mind. It’s just the beginning. More good things are yet to come. My performance and achievement will speak for itself in the future.

Some people compare you with Virat Kohli. How do you feel about it?

It always feels good to be compared to a good player in terms of style and approach, although I haven’t been able to perform as well as him. You know we play at different batting numbers, he plays at number three and I play at six or seven. He gets a lot of time to develop his innings with less pressure as compared to me. When I come out to play usually the situation is that the Pakistan team is four wickets down to 80 or 100 with few overs left. Comparison by the experts would be fair if we both played at the same number. I feel my best comparison is with Suresh Raina as both of us play at the same number. Look at his performance and look at mine, the results are the best judge.

The last Test match you played was in September 2011 vs Zimbabwe. It has been almost three years since you played a Test. Now you have been selected for the Sri Lanka tour. Why weren’t you able to cement your place in the Test squad?

I have no idea. I think my performance was good enough to keep me on the team. But I couldn’t understand why I was dropped. I am thankful to the new management for showing confidence in me. I have been practicing with Mansoor Rana to improve my batting technique so I am confident that I will not let down my fans and the management as well.

You only have three centuries in international cricket. Is your batting position to be blamed for that or is it just inconsistency in your batting performance?

No, I haven’t been inconsistent, the batting number that I play at is hard to score a century on. You get to score a hundred at this number once in a blue moon, it’s a number where you have to focus more on saving the team, to get the team out of crunch situations. Take the example of Misbahul Haq, he hasn’t scored a hundred in ODIs but he has won matches for Pakistan.

The most recent Man of the Match you earned was against Australia in the World T20 where you scored 94 in 54 balls, hitting four sixes at a strike rate of 174. Tell us what was going through your mind, what helped you play such a good innings?

I was padded up waiting for my turn to go in and Shahid bhai [Shahid Afridi] was sitting beside me. He kind of reminded me, saying that “Umar tum nay hamesha Australia ke khilaf score kiya ha, bus yeh zehan main rakhna, ab woh time phir aya ha aur team ko mushkil say nikal ker lay jana ha [Umar, you have always scored well against Australia. The team is again in trouble and you are the one who can pull it out of that situation].” Also, Kami bhai [Kamran Akmal] was at the crease then and we always had a good partnership against Australia. The entire management told me to go in and play my natural game. So, when you have the faith and trust of the whole management, it is also reflected in your game. Zaheer Abbas sahib was our batting coach and he also said, “Umar, go play the game that you know best, you have my support.”

You were offered money in Hong Kong Super Sixes for under performing and you refused. Tell us what happened? And how do you keep yourself away from all such people?

They wanted me to under perform. They said you are favoured (by the bookies) to perform well in this tournament as you did the last year. I got really angry and I told them ‘Chup kar ke chalay jao’ [shut up and leave]. And I reported it to the Pakistan Cricket Board [PCB] rightaway while passing on to them all the information. Initially I wanted to come back and discontinue the tournament but PCB advised me to get on with the game so I decided that if I am to play this tournament, I must get the best performance award of the tournament, and I did achieve it. So that was a message to all such people who think that they can manipulate any player as per their wish. Not everyone is for sale. It’s our responsibility to keep the game clean. We can’t afford to disappoint our cricket fans on that. As a preventive measure, we try not to socialise too much on tours, we don’t go out much. Most of our time is spent in the rooms, we order room service. Such people observe you, they make notes of the things you like and of your weaknesses. Then they bring those things in front of you, they test you and see how you respond. I make sure to avoid all such people.

What kind of a role do you see for yourself in this team?

I want to serve my country to the fullest whether it is through my batting, wicketkeeping or fielding. I want to see myself molding into different roles so that my team can benefit from me. My efforts should bring rewards for my team. I should be able to win matches.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, August 3rd, 2014