Sydney, January 10: Kamran Akmal, whose woeful performance behind the stumps cost Pakistan a historic victory in the second Test against Australia, might have won the match for the visitors if the PCB had agreed to appoint renowed wicketkeeping coach Steve Rixon.
Akmal dropped four crucial catches during Australia’s second innings as the hosts fought back to snatch a 36-run victory from the jaws of almost certain defeat.
Rixon, regarded as one of the world cricket’s finest keeping coaches and the mentor of Australian gloveman Brad Haddin, revealed that former Pakistan coach Geoff Lawson had appealed to the PCB to appoint him in order to rectify the flaws in Akmal’s technique.
However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which was intent on tightening its financial belt at the time, rejected the suggesstion because it felt that Rixon’s 5000-dollar fee was far too excessive.
”I would have absolutely helped him.
”’Henry’ (Lawson) actually rang me when he was the Pakistan coach, believe it or not he tried to get me to do work with Kamran.
But it didn’t eventuate because the board was counting their pennies,” Rixon said.
”At the time, I had ICL commitments in India, I wasn’t far away and there was a window of opportunity for me to help Kamran, which I was more than happy to do,” he added.
Rixon went on to assert that the contrasting performances of Haddin and Akmal was the difference between the two sides at the SCG.
”Look at the two keepers (Brad Haddin and Kamran) and their performances in that (Sydney) Test and it was the difference.
”Brad was great and if Kamran takes one of those four dropped catches, it’s all over – Pakistan win the Test,” he was quoted as saying by the ‘Herald Sun’. ”I wasn’t asking for much, it was petty, but for whatever reason the PCB didn’t want a bar of it. They deserve everything they get,” he asserted.
Lawson backed Rixon’s comments, adding that he feared that Akmal will be made a whipping boy in Pakistan.
”I actually think the kid can be a good keeper.
”I can imagine the papers in Karachi would be slicing Kamran up because he’s from Lahore and they would be pushing their local product,” Lawson said.
”Sometimes it doesn’t take much to get a guy back to form but you need the right coaches to do it.
”The PCB didn’t want to invest in Kamran and it’s cost them a Test match and the series,” he added.
——Agencies