Former Sri Lanka first-class cricketer and renowned commentator, Roshan Abeysinghe, has made a startling claim about banned Pakistan middle-order batsman Umar Akmal, while comparing him with India’s skipper Virat Kohli.

Akmal has been banned for breaching Article 2.4.4 of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)'s Anti-Corruption code. He had failed to disclose corrupt approaches made to him and was suspended just before the beginning of Pakistan Super League (PSL) season five.

The right-handed batsman has featured in in 16 Tests, 121 One-day Internationals (ODIs) and 84 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), since making his debut in 2009.

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While speaking in an interview, Abeysinghe said that Akmal could have been Pakistan’s answer to the Men in Blue’s star cricketer and one of the best batsmen in the world, Kohli.

“I thought he would break a lot of records for Pakistan. I though he was good as any young batsman and could have been Pakistan’s answer to Virat Kohli,” said Abeysinghe.

“He is very talented and it is very unfortunate that a career which should have gone upwards has gone in a different direction. Personally I rate him very highly and will continue to rate him very highly,” he added.  

Akmal’s last appearance in Pakistan colours was in the T20I series against Sri Lanka in Lahore in 2019, where he made golden ducks on both occasions.