The third Akmal.

If you’re the PCB, done with Kamran Akmal and desperate for Umar Akmal, in spite of his shenanigans, what do you do – you give the middle brother a chance; he’s Adnan Akmal, and he keeps wickets too. If he’s anything like his elder bro, it will be a ghost of a chance.

The matter can be settled if they tell Umar that big bro Kamran is going nowhere – he will always have a place on Pak’s bench. Explain to the kid the merits of bench strength, tell him Kamran is not playing because he adds strength to the bench. You can also tell him playing for Pak isn’t the real deal, Kamran once had an IPL contract, and played with the winning team. All that will go a long way. (If that doesn’t work, play Kamran as a batsman instead of Misbah, pick Sarfraz Ahmed as a keeper. Remember, Kamran can win you matches with the bat; ask India.)

And what about the third Akmal, Adnan – bench him. More the merrier on the bench; that should reassure young Umar, the brothers are all there.

Then again, all this brotherly love could be a hoax – like MoYo, Malik and Misbah not wanting to bat at No.3. How then, do sources get it through to cricinfo – who do you trust more, PCB or cricinfo?

Of course, it’s the PCB. This whole Akmal affair is a figment of the imagination. It’s basically a creative writing course in cricket.

Essay: Kamran dropped, Umar drops bombshell, Adnan drops in.

Btw Happy Bored Day Kamran Akmal.