Pakistan need captains like MS Dhoni who can take team forward, says Kamran Akmal

Ever since Mahendra Singh Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket on 15 August. The cricket fraternity along with personalities from across various fields have paid their tributes to the legendary Indian captain. Recently, Pakistan wicket-keeper batsman Kamran Akmal praised Dhoni and said former India captain should get a standing ovation and that there should be a farewell match for the player. Speaking to Paktv.tv, Akmal said that Dhoni is known by his nickname Mr. Cool and he has retired from sports in the same way. He also said that very rare a player like Dhoni is seen in World cricket. “Amazing player, an amazing performer, amazing captain and has had an amazing career,” Akmal said. Dhoni was a player who took the team along and was very good at building the team. He added that Dhoni only wanted to do good for his country and the cricketers who blossomed under him are still No.1, the 38-year-old added. Akmal felt that Pakistan also require captains akin to Dhoni, who can take their team forward.

“Nowadays we see captains of the team playing for their own positions, to secure their spots and they have no concern whether the team wins or not. This is very unfortunate for any country’s team,” he said. “I wish such captains come in Pakistan as well. It is a request to the current captains that unless they win and their own performance is not world-class, the way Dhoni has done, we will not be able to go forward,” the Pakistan player added. Akmal also said that aspiring cricketers should learn from Dhoni on how to be a star player. Dhoni, the 39-year-old cricketer, will be seen playing for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 that will start from 19 September in the UAE.