Due to the ongoing renovations at the National Stadium in Karachi, the second Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh has now shifted the game to Rawalpindi, meaning that both Tests will be played at the Pindi Cricket Stadium. This comes after Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had said that the match will be played behind closed doors (without fans). While the PCB has made the u-turn regarding the same, shifting the game to Rawalpindi, former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal has slammed the board for making an “international mockery” of the situation.

“The second Test match will be played in Karachi. So I think you know that there is a renovation going on in Karachi. They are preparing a stadium for the Champions Trophy. So it will be a joke of Pakistan that Test matches are being played in Pakistan without a crowd,” Akmal said on his YouTube channel.

Kamran pointed out that Pakistan have world class stadiums, barring the three big venues (Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi), adding that the board could’ve organised one of the Tests at venues like Multan and Faislabad.

“And we don’t just have 2-3 stadiums; we also have Faisalabad Stadium. We could have played there too; it is a top-class stadium. So much cricket has happened there. There is a stadium in Multan. And you know that Multan Stadium is very good. And the crowd also comes there. So you know that this is your stadium; you could have put another Test match at one of these two venues. So it would have been good. So I think it will be an international mockery of our cricket. These things should not happen,” the former cricketer added.

Since international cricket resumed in Pakistan following the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team, PCB have only organised games at three specific venues.

The construction experts advised PCB that the construction could continue during the playing hours. As a result, players could get distracted and disturbed due to the noise and dust produced during the construction work.

For the record, the renovations at the National Stadium are being done to get the venue ready for the Champions Trophy.

Two of the finest former cricketers for their respective teams, Harbhajan Singh and Kamran Akmal came face-to-face during the World Championship of Legends match in England. The animated chat between the two made fans believe that the former Pakistan star’s controversial ‘Sikh joke’ at Arshdeep Singh was likely a topic of discussion. Kamran has now come out and admitted that it was a topic of discussion between the two. But, there was another topic which he raised during the chat, following which Harbhajan apologised.

Akmal had made a racist Sikh joke as a pundit for a Pakistani channel during the T20 World Cup 2024. As the video of his joke went viral on social media, Harbhajan took a sharp swipe at him. The former Pakistan wicket-keeper later issued an apology as well.

“(Mujhse galti hui thi aur wahi ek baat chal rahi thi) I made a mistake, and that was the only topic being discussed. It was never my intention, and I can never think negatively about anyone’s religion. I have made that clear. It should be done because I am younger, they are seniors and a great off-spinner in Indian and world cricket,” Akmal said as per Paktv.tv, opening up on the chat he had with Harbhajan.

During the T20 World Cup final between India and South Africa, Harbhajan Singh was also roped in as a pundit by Star Sports. During a show on the channel, Harbhajan produced a vivid laughter when the topic of a comparison between Pakistan’s Babar Azam and West Indies legend Brian Lara came up.

Kamran revealed that he reported the matter to Bhajji during the chat, highlighting how he was wrong to have mocked Babar in such a manner. The retired Indian spinner admitted his mistake on the matter.

“Then we talked, and you might have seen Babar being mocked. No doubt, Babar is also a great batsman in Pakistan cricket; he has scored the most hundreds for Pakistan. No doubt, Brian Lara and Babar’s class don’t match, and they shouldn’t be compared. But as cricketers, we shouldn’t mock anyone. So I talked about it, and he (Harbhajan) also agreed that it shouldn’t have happened from his side either,” he explained.

Two former stars of their respective teams, Harbhajan Singh and Kamran Akmal came face to face in the ‘World Championship Of Legens’ event in Birmingham on Saturday, as India’s team took on Pakistan veterans’ side. The two former cricketers, who have squared off against each other multiple times during their active playing days, were spotted engaging in an aminated chat during the meet. While the audio of the clip wasn’t available, a calculated guess suggests that the two must’ve spoken about the controversial remarks Kamran had made as a pundit on a Pakistani TV channel, while analysing an Indian cricket team’s game at the T20 World Cup 2024.

The Harbhajan-Akmal row started after the latter made racist joke at India’s Arshdeep Singh.

“Kuch bhi ho sakta hai… Dekhein last over karna Arshdeep Singh ne hai. Waise uska rhythm nahi laga. 12 bajj gaye hai (Anything can happen. The last over will be bowled by Arshdeep Singh; he hasn’t looked in a great rhythm. And It is already 12),” Akmal had said on a show.

As the video went viral on social media, Harbhajan launched a scathing attack at Kamran, saying: “Lakh di laanat tere Kamraan Akhmal.. You should know the history of sikhs before u open ur filthy mouth. We Sikhs saved ur mothers and sisters when they were abducted by invaders, the time invariably was 12 o’clock . Shame on you guys.. Have some Gratitude”

Kamran also issued an apology later on “I deeply regret my recent comments and sincerely apologize to @harbhajan_singh and the Sikh community. My words were inappropriate and disrespectful. I have the utmost respect for Sikhs all over the world and never intended to hurt anyone. I am truly sorry. #Respect #Apology.”

As for the match in WCL, Pakistan defeated India by 68 runs.

There has been a lot of chatter over England players not playing in the IPL 2024 playoffs to join the national team for the series against Pakistan just ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024. Former England captain Michael Vaughan criticised the England Cricket Board (ECB) as he thought the IPL would have been a better place for preparation than facing Pakistan. He was even supported by former Pakistan cricketer Kamran Akmal. Following England’s 2-0 series win over Pakistan on Thursday, another former England captain Nasser Hussain also joined the competition and praised the IPL for setting up the players for big games and providing them brilliant practice to play in front of big crowds.

“They’re a very balanced side, they’ve played in a lot of big games. We don’t talk enough about the IPL and how that obviously sets you up as a cricketer but also sets you up in big games. And under pressure and big crowds and that’s what you need going into a World Cup. So they’ve done all that they could do,” said Hussain on Sky Sports.

Hussain further said that the England cricket team look balanced ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024 but they will need to 

“They’ve just got to be better than they were at that 50-over World Cup. They went into that with a lot of hope and it didn’t start well and they didn’t react well. So they need to have a Plan B. If we don’t start well, if things don’t go well, how do we react? How do we react to slower pitches? How do we react when better sides come up against us? But under Buttler and what they’ve got in this side they’re in a real good place. They just got to go and do it,” he added.

Former Pakistan cricket team star Kamran Akmal has expressed his agreement to former England captain Michael Vaughan‘s “IPL is better than playing against Pakistan” comment. Vaughan made the comment in connection to the ongoing T20I series between Pakistan and England. He believed that England Cricket Board (ECB) should have allowed its players to play in the IPL instead of coming back for the Pakistan series as the former would have been better practice for the upcoming T20 World Cup. In a recent video, Akmal said that he agrees with Vaughan as Pakistan’s performance has been quite disappointing in the recent past and described the IPL as “tough and quality cricket”.

“Over the past few days, I have wondered why a former England captain is commenting and taking Pakistan cricket non-seriously. It has been a painful thought, but I think he was correct in his assessment,” Akmal said on his YouTube channel.

“Everybody knows the level of Pakistan cricket. We are losing against smaller teams like Ireland and in that sense Vaughan said that it is not a tough series. So the fault is ours. Had it been any other team like New Zealand, South Africa and India then Vaughan would not have said it,” he added.

“We need to understand that in IPL, the best bowlers and batters are participating with crowds of 40 to 50,000. So it is tough cricket and quality cricket,” he explained.

Akmal also said that Pakistan should use Vaughan’s comments as ‘motivation’ in the T20 World Cup.

“The state of Pakistan cricket may be in need of a revamp, but this also presents an opportunity for growth. How do we respond to Vaughan’s critique? By showing our mettle in the upcoming T20 series against England. Let’s use this as a catalyst to regain our confidence and competitiveness, lest even teams like USA start to see us as an easy target.”

“The Pakistan cricket Chairman is to blame for all of this as he has completely ruffled the system. For now it remains to be seen if Pakistan cricket team rises to the situation or keeps playing in the same zone as they have done till now,” he concluded.