Pakistan’s middle-order batter Umar Akmal has set social media abuzz after posting a training video from the National Cricket Academy (NCA), hinting at a possible cricket comeback.
The 34-year-old shared a short clip on X (formerly Twitter) showing him working out, while also thanking High-Performance Center Director Aaqib Javed for his support.
thank you very much, Aqib bhai #nca 🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/5IYoYi2dAB
— Umar Akmal (@Umar96Akmal) August 21, 2025
The video quickly gained traction online, with cricket fans flooding the comments section urging Umar to make a return:
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“This is the energy we wanted to see! Come back stronger, bro.”
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“Fitness is the key. You still have the shots, now prove the critics wrong.”
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“Please make it count this time. You’ve got the talent, now show the commitment.”
Some even suggested he should restart through domestic cricket: “We miss you on the field. Start with domestic cricket and make a statement.”
Past struggles & controversies
Umar, who has had a turbulent career marred by disciplinary issues and fitness concerns, has often spoken about the difficulties he faced during his time in Pakistan cricket.
In a past interview, he revealed: “I don’t want my son to play for Pakistan because of what I went through. I don’t want him to face the same treatment.”
He also claimed that higher authorities influenced team selections, saying captains were pressured to drop him:
“There used to be calls telling captains not to include me in the team. I can even give you the number of one captain, Raza Ali Dar. You can call him and confirm. But he stood firm and said, how can I drop Umar Akmal?”
