Akmal relishing Afridi reunion

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Umar Akmal is in no doubt as to who the Northamptonshire Steelbacks key man will be in the NatWest T20 Blast game tomorrow evening (5.30pm).

The Pakistan batsman comes across international teammate Shahid Afridi at Grace Road in a challenge that he is looking forward to.

“The plan will be to get Shahid out as soon as possible or he could run riot,” Akmal told PakPassion.net Chief Editor Sajid Sadiq. “He's a player who has been a game-changer with either bat or ball over the years and still remains a very dangerous player.

“He's an entertainer and a dangerous opponent. I'm sure it will be fun playing against Shahid again and I hope that I can do well and help Leicestershire to another victory in the NatWest T20 Blast.”    

It will be Akmal’s first appearance at home in the NatWest T20 Blast after his brilliant unbeaten 76, including four fours and five sixes off just 49 balls, helped the Foxes beat local rivals Nottinghamshire Outlaws at Trent Bridge last Friday night.

He said: “I didn’t really know what to expect and what the crowd would be like. When the match started, Trent Bridge had a big crowd, the atmosphere was very good and I was really keen to do well.

“We weren’t chasing a huge total, but lost early wickets so we had to rebuild the innings, but once I got settled in, the ball was hitting the middle of my bat nicely.

“I was told to ensure that I batted to the end and to make sure I saw the team home and thankfully that's what happened which was very pleasing. It was good to make an early impression and I’m glad that we beat one of the strongest teams in the competition.”

Akmal is enjoying his time at Grace Road and is following in the footsteps of Afridi and Abdul Razzaq, who both had a massive impact on Leicestershire in the past.

Akmal said: “Abdul Razzaq and Shahid Afridi played for Leicestershire and are remembered fondly here. Both Abdul and Shahid said to me that it was a great club, well-run, with great support and that it would be an excellent chance for me to play against and alongside some good cricketers.

“They have both been immense cricketers around the world and I hope that in my short spell for Leicestershire I can leave the club with some happy memories in the same way that Abdul Razzaq and Shahid Afridi did.”

It could be argued that Akmal has already made supporters happy after the knock at Trent Bridge – but he is keen to leave more smiling faces before he leaves to play for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Caribbean Premier League.

“My cricketing philosophy is simple, I play aggressive cricket,” he said. “I’d like to do well individually and obviously score a lot of runs, but the most important thing is to try my best and help Leicestershire win the matches that I will be a part of.

“It's a learning experience for me and will definitely help with my development as a cricketer. I think the more countries you play in, the more you can improve as a cricketer.”

Leicestershire have named a 15 man squad for the game, welcoming back two of the most effective T20 players this season in Niall and Kevin O’Brien, both of whom missed last week’s game against Notts due to international commitments with Ireland.

Foxes (from): Cosgrove (capt), Agathangelou, Akmal, Boyce, Eckersley, McKay, Naik, K O’Brien, N O’Brien, Raine, Sheikh, Shreck, Sykes, Taylor, Wells.