Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal, who is known for his hard-hitting batting style, in an interview to Wisden India, said it is unfair to compare him with Indian captain Virat Kohli. Arguing that both the batsmen play at different batting positions, Akmal said Kohli should rather be compared with another Pakistan middle-order batsman Babar Azam. After Umar smashed a 42-ball 66 in a winning cause for Lahore Qalandars against Islamabad United in a Pakistan Super League fixture, Akmal was asked why has he failed to match up to Kohli’s level, in spite of all his talents.
Akmal was replying to a question in which a comparison between him and Indian captain Virat Kohli was made, to which he said that there can be no comparisons between the two as he bats at number 6 and Kohli walks in at number 3.
“When people compare me to Kohli, it’s a matter of number. Since Kohli’s debut he is batting at number three and I have been batting at number six. Let me play at number three slot and him on six, then compare me with him. I never wailed over my number. I do everything for my team.
“Whatever cricket I have played, it’s for the team and the number comes later. But when people compare me with Kohli, only then do I point out that I bat in the lower middle order,” Akmal said during the conference.
This comment was enough to start a Twitter backlash as people questioned the claims and also went after him for not respecting the calibre of the Indian captain.
In his reply, Akmal said, “When people compare me with Kohli, it’s not fair. It’s a matter of batting positions.” Akmal went on to say that Kohli might not be able to perform as much if he was batting at a different position. “Since his (Kohli) debut, he is batting at no. 3 and I have been playing at No. 6. Let me play at 3 and Kohli at 6, then compare me with him.” Talking about 22-year old Pakistani batsman Babar Azam, who has slowly risen up in ICC batting rankings in limited over cricket, and usually plays at no. 3 and no. 4 positions for the team, Akmal said, “Compare him with Babar Azam, who is doing well at 3. He is in great form, so you can compare him with Babar.”
According to stats:
The junior Akmal has scored 3044 runs in 116 One-Day Internationals with only two hundreds while Kohli has already notched up 27 hundreds in 179 matches. In terms of T20Is, Umar has scored 1690 runs in 82 games with eight half-centuries while Kohli has scored 1709 runs with 16 fifties in 48 T20Is.
The right-hander does have a history of cribbing about his batting position. Last year during the World T20s he approached former Pakistan captain Imran Khan and complained to him about the team management and that he deserved to bat higher up in the order. This gesture did not go down well with the Team management as the then coach Waqar Younis slammed this move.
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