All of 19 and a self-confessed fan of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, Umar Akmal could send India's best-laid plans haywire in Saturday's Champions Trophy match as he has done in recent times.
Akmal is fast emerging out of the shadows of his elder brother Kamran with an average of 77 in one-day internationals and a fabulous strike rate of 100.
Akmal is intent on giving a good name to Pakistan's much-maligned batting which has relied all too heavily on the senior trio of Younus Khan, Shoaib Malik and Misbah-ul-Haq in recent times.
The latest example of the young lad shepherding the floundering score of 76 for 5 against the West Indies to safety in the Champions Trophy opener on Wednesday is an ample proof. PTI