Umar Akmal accuses Waqar Younis of ruining his cricket career

ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan captain Umar Akmal has alleged that Waqar Younis played a ‘sinister’ role in destroying his cricket career.

He said that some senior officials in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) are also preventing his return to the game.

Appearing on Neo TV, Umar Akmal opened up about the highs and lows of his career, alleging that certain people in the PCB do not want him or his brother Kamran Akmal to play, which is why they are not being picked even for the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

He said players are usually selected for PSL or the national team based on domestic performances, but he is not even being allowed to play domestic cricket.

As a result, PSL franchises cannot see his current form and do not consider him for selection — keeping him away from both domestic and international cricket.

Umar recalled that when he once performed well in domestic matches, he was included in the Pakistan A squad, but despite that, he was dropped for the Bangladesh A series. “They simply don’t want me to progress,” he said.

The cricketer added that he has not announced retirement because he still hopes to wear the green jersey again. “I still believe I will make a comeback one day,” he said.

Umar claimed that he once refused lucrative offers from several international leagues just to play for Pakistan — something he believes today’s players would not do.

Blaming Waqar Younis for derailing his career, Umar alleged that the former head coach was jealous of his fame, earnings and lifestyle.

“Waqar Younis didn’t sideline me because of performance but because of personal jealousy,” he claimed.

He further alleged that Waqar had ruined the careers of other senior players as well, though he chose not to name them. Umar said he has evidence and will reveal everything about Waqar Younis “when the time is right.”