.svg){kind=small}
Kamran Akmal is a former wicketkeeper-batter who played for Pakistan. Currently, he’s a cricket administrator and coach. After a successful career in domestic and international cricket, Akmal became the head of the selection committee. He was responsible for carrying out trials for the selection of U-13, U-16, and U-19 regional and district teams in Pakistan.
But, in February, he withdrew from the selection panels due to commitments and contracts with certain private TV channels regarding coverage of PSL.
Kamran Akmal was quite surprised when Indian selectors included Suryakumar Yadav for the India-West Indies series.
Suryakumar Yadav was selected to play in the India-West Indies series held in 2023. The selectors also chose him to be the vice-captain of India in the third T20 match.
Yadav was born and brought up in Mumbai. He played club cricket for the Parsi Gymkhana Club in Mumbai. Moreover, he has also played for the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited team. He has played for the Mumbai Ranji team and has even been its captain for a few years. It was in October 2018, that Yadav got the opportunity to be a part of India C's squad for the Deodhar Trophy. The selectors who had kept a watch on Yadav saw that the young cricketer was performing quite consistently in first-class and domestic cricket.
Soon after, in February 2021, Suryakumar Yadav was chosen to play for India in the T20 India-England series. Yadav holds the record of being the first Indian to hit a six in the first ball in an international T20 match. He was soon named to be a part of India’s ODI series against England. Since then, he has been picked by selectors quite a few times to play for India
Kamran Akmal, a former Pakistani cricketer was surprised when he saw Suryakumar Yadav be a part of the India-West Indies series. So much so that he has tried to explore the reasons behind his inclusion.
It’s not without reason that Akmal and other cricket analysts were surprised when Suryakumar Yadav was included in the national team before the series began. After all, the cricketer had not been in form lately. The batsman had got for zero in his previous three ODI innings. In his previous eleven innings, Yadav has single-digit scores to his name.
Then why did the selectors give him a chance?
Akmal explains it was perhaps because the management had the World Cup in mind. The ICC Men’s World Cup is supposed to be held in the latter part of the year. Perhaps India's decision to let Yadav play is because they want to rest some of their key players. Kamran Akmal said, “He is getting so many chances because India wants to ensure that if some of their injured players don't get fit before the World Cup, they still have someone who has scored big runs in T20s.”
Kamran Akmal has also expressed the fact that he wants to see Uttar Pradesh cricketer Rinku Singh be a part of India’s T20 squad. Considering his fabulous performance as a KKR (Kolkata Knight Riders) cricketer, Akmal believes, the selectors should give him a chance in the national team.
Former Pakistani cricketer Kamran Akmal believes that Suryakumar Yadav’s selection in the India-West Indies series would do India good. It would ensure the presence of a good player in case other key players face injuries.
Many critics were surprised at Yadav’s inclusion in the West Indies-India match. But Akmal believes the fact that he’s getting so many opportunities would prepare him to do well in the World Cup.
