*KARACHI:* Islamabad United coach Waqar Younis has broken silence over theissue of selection of Kamran Akmal in the National team.

He said on Saturday that Peshawar Zalmi opener Kamran Akmal can be includedin the national team as a backup of skipper Sarfraz Ahmed but due to hisquestionable fielding skills, he probably won’t make it to the nationalside. Akmal is the lone centurion of this PSL season, and was also the onlycentury-maker in PSL 2017.

After a topsy-turvy start to this season, the last few matches saw himsmash 107 not out off 61 balls and the fastest half-century in the league’shistory, raising the possibility of his return in the national squadagainst upcoming West Indies series.

Akmal played for Pakistan in the series against West Indies in April 2017,making a return to the national squad after becoming the top run-scorer inthe last PSL tournament. But he has not been part of the national squadsince then.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the tournament’s final on Sunday,the former national coach said that as many as 30 years back he made hisinternational debut at the National Stadium.

“I am glad to be back here. And it will be great to see internationalplayers playing again in the National Stadium. Karachi is a cricket lovingcity. I am already getting goosebumps. With the weather suitable forplaying conditions, I predict that it will be a high-scoring match,” hesaid.

Responding to a question, the coach said that if Akmal was in ‘red-hotform’ so is United’s opener Luke Ronchi. Younis added that his team’splayers were ‘hungry and looking forward to delivering tomorrow’.

United skipper JP Duminy said that the team would try to dismiss Akmal atthe early stage of the game. The South African player reiterated that theentire team were excited to play Pakistan Super League final in Karachi.

Younis informed the press that the team would look at the medicalexamination reports of Misbahul Haq but it more likely that would miss thefinal because of the wrist injury.