Umar Akmal claims Misbah’s advice cost him wicket in 2011 semi-final

Batter Umer Akmal has claimed that former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq’s advice to play slow in the ODI World Cup 2011 semi-final against India cost him his wicket.

Speaking at a private TV show, the right-handed batter recalled Pakistan’s World Cup campaign in 2011, under the captaincy of Shahid Afridi.

“We planned the whole World Cup. Shahid bhai was captain and we had rhythm from our previous matches,” he said.

Recalling his partnership with former skipper Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal revealed that he was middling the balls after getting set on the crease.

“As soon as I went in, I began getting balls which I could hit to my favourite areas. Misbah bhai was batting with me. When Harbhajan Singh came [to bowl], Misbah told me play him slowly and then start hitting in the next over,” he said.

However, Akmal claimed that he insisted on going after the spin bowler as he felt that he could easily hit him over his head.

“But Misbah-ul-Haq said that we should not rush thing and keep rotating strike as the Indian bowlers were already under pressure,” said the wicketkeeping batter. “In doing so, I could not read his [Harbhajan Singh] arm bowl and was clean bowled.”

Pakistan were defeated in the semi-final after they were bowled out for 231 while chasing a target of 261 in 50 overs.

Opening batters Mohammad Hafeez and Kamran Akmal gave Pakistan a start of 44 in nine overs, however, they could not capitalise on it.

Umar Akmal and Misbah-ul-Haq built a partnership of 36 off 45 balls in which the former contributed 29 off 24 balls while the latter added seven of 21 balls.

Haq was later involved in another partnership with then-skipper Shahid Afridi, however, he failed to finish the game for Pakistan and was the last batter to be dismissed as India qualified for the ODI World Cup 2011 final after defeating the Men in Green by 29 runs.