Abu Dhabi: Adnan Akmal, the second of the three Akmal brothers who have played Test cricket, played a match-winning role which was second only to Saeed Ajmal's in Pakistan's Test win in Dubai and hopes to extend that run of form in the capital.
Speaking to reporters during his team's training session at the Zayed Cricket Stadium here yesterday, Adnan, who snapped up seven catches behind the stumps and scored his career-best 61 to boost Pakistan's first innings, said he enjoys playing as a wicketkeeper-batsman. Adnan is younger than Kamran Akmal (30 years, wicket-keeper-batsman, 53 Tests) and older than the 21-year-old Umar Akmal, who is in this Pakistan Test side and has played 16 Tests as a batsman.
Adnan admitted that keeping wickets to Ajmal, who spun a web around the English batsmen in Dubai, was both different and difficult.
"I had some trouble keeping on Ajmal's doosra so I worked with Ejaz Ahmad [fielding coach] and the work-out and the drills helped me a lot," said Adnan.
"It's a bit different and difficult. You know how to keep wickets on the off-spin that will come in but the one that goes out … it's difficult. Every time I keep wickets I watch his hand and I have practised a lot on Ajmal's bowling and it's only after that that I am doing better on his bowling," he said.
Commenting on Ajmal's ‘teesra', Adnan said: "I never felt any difference. He was bowling in the same manner. It may be different for the batsmen but I did not feel any difference!"
