Their lunch is long over, but Pakistan coaches Mansoor Rana and Ijaz Ahmed are still chewing a problem in their minds. A young boy, who is sharing the table with them for the last couple of hours, sits silently as Rana and Ijaz are having a ‘talk’ with him. It’s the ‘iron-fist-velvet-glove’ kind of chat that coaches reserve for players like Shahid Afridi when they are out of form.Umar Akmal, 17, is the next big-hitting Pakistan opener but his 23 runs from four games have meant Rana and Ijaz are spending most of their World Cup semi-final eve with the troubled, but highly talented player. The second highest scorer in Quaid-e-Azam Trophy this season—that included a score of 248 compiled between an hour before lunch and stumps — is the youngest from Pakistan’s famous Akmal family that has an international keeper in Kamran and first class stumper in Adnan.Rana, Ijaz and Akmal move away from the dining area and drift towards the pool tables. As one settles in a corner with Rana, Ijaz takes Akmal to the adjoining chairs where their conversation continues. Akmal is still listening and Ijaz isn’t short of words. Rana points to the two and says, “Just look at Akmal and the way he is listening. He seems to be the most innocent guy in the world. But we’ll find out only tomorrow if whatever Ijaz is telling him is going into his head.”Rana, who has fresh memories of Akmal blowing away all opposition bowlers in the tri-series in Sri Lanka last month, speaks about his personal interactions with the trigger-happy boy and his stroke addiction. “He is like Shahid Afridi, whatever you tell him he will say yes. When I ask him what is his plan for the game, he will say ‘Mansoorbhai, I will play all the 50 overs.’ The next day when he is back in the dressing room after just 10 overs, I ask him ‘Akmal there were still 40 more overs to go.’ And he’ll say, ‘you know what happens’,” says Rana, as if indulgently narrating a prank of his favourite son.Rana romanticises this serious problem that attacking players like Akmal — or Afridi or even Sehwag — encounter by giving a colourful analogy. “It’s like when you are in love. Despite being advised by everyone, you will jump terraces to be with someone you want. It’s only when you mature that you laugh at the stupidity. It’s the same with cricketers .” Fresh from the pep talk with Ijaz one asks Akmal what the long discussion was all about. “He was telling me that if I have struck a four, I should concentrate on getting singles. Spending more time on the pitch is good for me and the team,” he says.With about 24 hours to go for the game against South Africa, it remains to be seen if Ijaz’s words will stay in Akmal’s mind. But the string of failures in this tournament has meant these are desperate times. “At best I will get two games in this tournament and I want to play an innings that will make people forget my past bad innings,” says the opener. “I have always been a stroke player and stick to my natural game,” he says as one gets the impression that it’s Afridi giving bytes. He does speak about a piece of advice that Afridi gave him. “He said it was good to be aggressive. And it was great to stick to one’s natural game. But you should master your strokes while facing the new ball at nets,” says Akmal. As expected, there was no word on taking singles after big hits or occupying the crease for 50 overs.
