The Umar Akmal Special!!!

[*sallu*]

6.1 Abdur Rehman to Guptill, OUT, 51.3 mph, and the frustration shows and gets Pakistan a wicket! Comes down the track, is not quite to the pitch of it, and mis-hits it towards long-on where Umar Akmal takes a superb diving-forward catch. he tries for the two-handed catch, can't reach it, but gets the right hand under it. Top stuff

10.5 Saeed Ajmal to Kallis, OUT, 56.3 mph, What a fab catch from Umar! Kallis shoveled a short-of-length delivery towards long-on and Umar charged ahead and dived full stretch to take a lovely catch

15.5 Saeed Ajmal to Duminy, OUT, Umar Akmal takes a superb catch at long-on, is there a twist in this game? Duminy came down the track and swung that one towards long-on, it was a flat hit, Akmal had to dive forward to pouch that one, and he managed to collect that one low, well done Umar Akmal

Thats the third time I recall him taking a fabulous forward diving catch in 6 months at long on/long off

[talha3]

he's easily our best fielder.

[Rizie]

very good fielder indeed

[*sallu*]

I'd say Fawad is Pakistan's best fielder but Umar somehow manages to take some brilliant catches.

He keeps taking these catches diving forward

[UmarAkmals-fan]

great fielder and a great batsmen BUT abit retarded to be honest

[Down2Earth]

he's crap in slip, but brilliant elsewhere.

[*sallu*]

[*sallu*]

[*sallu*]

[Looney]

if i was Umar Akmal i would be seriously worried and creeped out by this thread

[*sallu*]

Originally Posted by Looney if i was Umar Akmal i would be seriously worried and creeped out by this thread

Relax yaar, I'm only pointing out that every now and again he comes up with a stunning fielding effort which is quite rare for Pakistani fielders so I though we should dedicate a thread to it.

Thats thrice in 6 months hes taken a diving forward catch at the boundary. Its becoming his trade mark

[Dare2Dream]

He is our second best catcher, behind Muhammad "Jonty" Yousef!

[AZ]

was a psycho catch, looked nowhere near it when I saw it live!

[Maula Jutt]

He has always been a brilliant fielder. It's his batting that has lately gone down the drain.

[Sledger]

I thought the Umar Akmal special was trying to cut a full ball turning from off to leg.

[Tay'yab-Ali Malik]

Anyone else notice

looked trimmer
more relaxed at the crease
little shuffling at the crease
played more on the off side- played a lovely cover drive today
no green lipstick

[Maula Jutt]

Originally Posted by Tay'yab-Ali Malik Anyone else notice looked trimmer more relaxed at the crease little shuffling at the crease played more on the off side- played a lovely cover drive today no green lipstick

And no runs.

[Tay'yab-Ali Malik]

Originally Posted by Maula Jutt And no runs.

Unlucky to find the fielder otherwise he hit that ball pretty hard.

He can't be the top scorer in every T/20 game he plays. It's about time now the darling of most poster here namely Shazaib and others to chip in.

[Maula Jutt]

Originally Posted by Tay'yab-Ali Malik Unlucky to find the fielder otherwise he hit that ball pretty hard. He can't be the top scorer in every T/20 game he plays. It's about time now the darling of most poster here namely Shazaib and others to chip in.

Well fielders are going to be there. That cant be used as an excuse. He hasn't been top scorer for a quite a while. His poor form started in the beginning of the England tour and is showing no signs of coming to an end. Comparing him to the likes of Shahzaib or Hafeez or Imran Nazir, etc is unfair because Akmal is quite a few classes above all of them. It is expected of him to deliver more often than others. I just hope for the sake of our cricket that he finds his form soon. We really need a performing UA.

[*sallu*]

Originally Posted by Sledger I thought the Umar Akmal special was trying to cut a full ball turning from off to leg.

Yes that too

[farazaidi]

Originally Posted by *sallu* I'd say Fawad is Pakistan's best fielder but Umar somehow manages to take some brilliant catches. He keeps taking these catches diving forward

I've seen flashes of brilliance in both of them but they struggle with consistency. Umar had a forgettable test series in england catching-wise which is mind-boggling really considering his fielding qualities. Fadi is a better ground fielder I'd say with a more accurate throw as well but sometimes he too fumbles straight-forward bowls.

Anyway, they are our two best fielders. We need more of and less of

[sanakazmi]

easily our best fielder? will not agree. (yes, i know we're talking about umar, not kamran).

[KingKhanWC]

Originally Posted by Maula Jutt Well fielders are going to be there. That cant be used as an excuse. He hasn't been top scorer for a quite a while. His poor form started in the beginning of the England tour and is showing no signs of coming to an end. Comparing him to the likes of Shahzaib or Hafeez or Imran Nazir, etc is unfair because Akmal is quite a few classes above all of them. It is expected of him to deliver more often than others. I just hope for the sake of our cricket that he finds his form soon. We really need a performing UA.

I know what you mean but he is actually the top runscorer in International T20 this year.

The top order has been a joke.

[shezad210]

He fielded welle today...
A good fielder but unfortunately drops too many catches to be considered world class...

[ddss]

azhar ali is our best fielder

[WNC]

Any video? Sadly I missed it as I was following the match on Cricinfo.

[Ali Raja]

I thought an 'Umar Akmal Special' was to play like a retard in T20's?

[AZ]

Originally Posted by ddss azhar ali is our best fielder

he can't throw, or run.

great catcher though, very safe.

[cricmylife]

With this kind of fielding if he'd start making runs again..would be nice!

[aqeelPK]

Originally Posted by Ali Raja I thought an 'Umar Akmal Special' was to play like a retard in T20's?

He is top runs scorer this year in T20 internationals.

[Sufi Malang]

Hes good in the out field near the rope for high or flat catches drops easy sittters when in the ring just like his elder brother...Seems likes its a tradition of Akmal family to drop sitters and catch difficult ones

[Ali Raja]

Originally Posted by aqeelPK He is top runs scorer this year in T20 internationals.

Yeah, I know. When he plays his natural game he is awesome. But when he starts playing like Khurram Manzoor I just don't get it...

[Dr_Bassim]

Since he cant become a poor man's Afridi....

i suppose he could look towards improving his fielding to cement his place in the side.

[MC]

Originally Posted by *sallu* Thats the third time I recall him taking a fabulous forward diving catch in 6 months at long on/long off

Compare Umar Akmal's thrilling effort to go after the ball with Razzaq's laziness to wait for the ball to come to him.

[talha3]

ahhh, that wasn't one of his special ones

[anakwalajinn]

Originally Posted by talha.raja ahhh, that wasn't one of his special ones

[Markhor]

Yeah hes 'special' all right.

Intikhab Alam was spot on.

[talha3]

Its another umar akmal special!

[AZ]

I blame it on *sallu*

[*sallu*]

LOL

Well, it was a difficult catch to be honest

Wet ground meant no opportunity to get a footing
Wet ball was also a problem
And it was a running catch and he did well to get there, but didn't hang on

[AZ]

khaaq

if friggin' Farhat can hold one even tougher one, how can he drop this.

[Pk-zindabaad]

he didn't position himself properly or quick enough!
but yes, it should have been caught- Imran Farhat caught a more difficult one than that!!
But I was pleasantly surprised on Imrans fielding in yesterdays T20 and todays!!