LAHORE: Discarded Test wicket-keeper/batsman Kamran Akmal, who stole the show in the just-ended Pakistan Super League (PSL), has declared himself fully fit to play in all three formats for Pakistan.
“At 35, I am quite fit to play in all three formats. Misbah is still fit [and playing] at the age of [approximately] 43 but some people are making an issue of my age,†Kamran said while speaking as guest of the Sports Journalists Association of Lahore (SJAL) here on Monday.
To a question, the stocky gloveman who usually bats top of the order due to his power-hitting ability, said though he had been performing well in the last couple of domestic seasons it was up to the selectors to pick him for national duty.
“Instead of getting disappointed, I tried my best to continue playing my best cricket in domestic circuit during which my confidence played a vital role,†Kamran with 53 Tests and 154 ODIs and 54 T20 Internationals under his belt underlined.
Lamenting that despite giving good performance on domestic circuit he didn’t receive any attention from the previous selection committee (headed by Haroon Rasheed), Kamran said the incumbent chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq had met him during the domestic matches and watched his performance.
Meanwhile, Kamran, who last played a Test in August 2010, ODI in June 2013 and T20 International in April 2014, reckoned he had no competition with recently-installed ODI captain and T20 skipper Sarfraz Ahmed, adding, “I am ready to play as batsman under his captaincyâ€.
Commenting on foreign cricketers’ visit to Lahore to play the PSL decider, Kamran said credit for this should also be given to former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi and owner of Peshawar Zalmi Javed Afridi who amid security concerns successfully convinced their foreign players to come to the provincial capital for the high-profile final.
