Karachi: Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal has come under fire from the team management for allegedly requesting former captain Imran Khan to put in a word to the team management about pushing him up in the batting slot.
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A furious former skipper Ramiz Raza wants the team management to bench Akmal junior for his selfish attitude.
"I am very angry with Umar's behaviour. Whenever he meets with a former great, he ends up talking about having his batting order changed. My heart says that for his behaviour Umar should be sat out in the next match," Ramiz said on ‘Geo News’ channel.
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It was learnt that when Imran dropped in to meet the Pakistan players for a pep talk before the crucial game against India on Sunday, Umar took the opportunity to ask him to tell the captain (Shahid Afridi) to send him to bat in the top order.
Former Captain Imran Khan meets Team Pakistan ahead of our match against India #WT20 pic.twitter.com/LYtVJupwy8
— PCB Official (@TheRealPCB) March 19, 2016
Former Captain Imran Khan meets Team Pakistan ahead of our match against India #WT20 pic.twitter.com/bamzaSd9hy
— PCB Official (@TheRealPCB) March 19, 2016
TV channels showed footage of Umar talking about it to Imran and the former great than turning around and telling someone that Umar should be sent to bat up the order.
Umar Akmal complained to Imran khan that the team mngmnt is not promotin him to the 3rd spot in the batting order 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/apbySivRZI
— Gabbbar (@GabbbarSingh) March 20, 2016
Ramiz said that he was disappointed that Umar complained to Imran knowing well they were television cameras around them.
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"Teams are never selected in such manner," the former captain lamented.
A reliable source in the Pakistan Cricket Board told PTI that Chairman Shaharyar Khan, who is present in Kolkata, had not taken kindly to Umar's antics and had spoken to the team management about the incident in front of cameras.
Umar has a history of disciplinary problems and has been in the past been censured or fined several times by the board for his behaviour.
Ramiz also supported the decision to invite Imran for a pep talk.
"Before the 1992 World Cup final also, Imran had invited Sir Viv Richards to our dressing room. But the purpose of his visit was not give us technical or tactical advice but just give us a motivational speech," Ramiz recalled.
