In the humiliation that the Pakistan cricket team has been on the receiving end since their World Twenty20 triumph last June, there has not been much to cherish and look at with a smile. Apart from a diving effort here, a brief cameo there and a win against India in South Africa, the smile has always been upside down.
There have been embarrassing losses, comic dismissals, flurry of dropped catches, ball-biting antics and a mortifying run of losses. However, amid the chaos, the disarray and the sense of abasement instilled into the team, a 19-year-old ray of light shone brightly from within the ruins since his debut against Sri Lanka last year.
It is hard to believe that Umar Akmal is still only 19 and carries so much responsibility within the team. His performance on the field — and antics off it — have been admired, questioned, scrutinised and lauded effortlessly. And it comes as no surprise that Umar was a talent identified ever since his first-class debut. Calls for prompt maturity triggered a premature death for his childhood. On the field, a 17-year-old had just scored 248 in only his sixth first-class match. In the dressing room, he was chased around after pouring water over a colleague and pinching another’s butt repeatedly. His talent, embellished aptly by his aggressive nature, was on show. But so was his refusal to mend his slashing ways. A Test century on debut, a coming of age against the West Indies and a duck against India, the youngest of the playing Akmals launched his cricket career in awe of his older brother Kamran.
“I started liking cricket after watching Kami bhai play,” he said. “Although I played for my school, my college and then a local club (Model Town Cricket Centre, one of the best clubs in Lahore according to Akmal) I was more than happy carrying drinks for my seniors for a couple of years just for the sake of watching them and learning the skills.”
His love for cricket resulted in Umar getting a lot of stick — verbally and physically — from Kamran but after repeated promises to his father, he was finally granted permission to play openly as opposed to sneaking out after school with Kamran forcing him to study and stay away from the sport. Lucky for him, help and support was always available.
“Apart from my brothers (Kamran and Adnan), my early mentors included Majeed bhai, my school coach Nadeem Zafar, Noshi, Khurram and Khalid; all of whom supported me at club level. As things moved on swiftly, and as Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) offered me a contract, I owed much to Mohammad Hafeez and Misbah-ul-Haq who ensured I learnt as each day progressed. They treated me like their brother in Kamran’s absence and I owe them a lot for my success.”
First-class debuts seldom come sweeter than Umar’s. Becoming the second-highest scorer in a title-winning debut season with SNGPL, his ascent was sharp and enviable. His 855 first-class runs included a 258 and 186 and “for a 17-year-old, that was as much joy as you can get”. After an encouraging tour of Sri Lanka, the under-19 World Cup presented Umar his first real challenge; one he was tipped to blast to all parts. However, life in the middle took a turn for the worse…
“The World Cup turned out to be fairly disappointing. There was a lot of expectation but I performed horribly and let the team down. I had learnt to handle pressure but I felt guilty. And when I was left out of the Pakistan Academy team following the World Cup, I was shattered but vowed to work harder, improve my cricket and make a comeback. I wanted to have a shot at the next under-19 World Cup, to show the world what I can do but thankfully, I got a chance at the senior level before that.”
His call-up to the national side, following success at the lower tier, did come as a huge shock to the teenager. The thought of playing alongside not only his brother but his idols — Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Yousuf and Shahid Afridi — did bring tears to his eyes but not a bout of nervousness. “A huge honour for me, an indescribable feeling, I must say”. Smiles became beams and the little-known became a national star after stroking a stunning ODI century against Sri Lanka — setting the tone for what we were to be treated to in the coming weeks. A change in attitude — on and off the field — saw Umar go from strength to strength. No longer the spoilt brat in the domestic dressing room, Umar now carried hopes of millions. Written about in match previews before Afridi, spoken of during lunch breaks and waited for with impatience during the match, Umar has realised his worth, and what is expected of him.
“International cricket is never easy. There is a lot of pressure from everywhere: media, crowd and the need to carry the team with you. But I have learnt a lot from my short time in international cricket. Obviously, I’d like to play more for Pakistan, perhaps even move up the order like I do for SNGPL. I’ve been lucky to stay injury-free till now and am training in the off-season to ensure it stays that way. Cricket has been a fun ride for me so far and hopefully, things will only go up from here.”
© Faras Ghani 2010
Published in Dawn newspaper, Apr 4, 2010
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