Pakistan’s middle-order batter Umar Akmal has set social media abuzz after posting a training video from the National Cricket Academy (NCA), hinting at a possible cricket comeback.

The 34-year-old shared a short clip on X (formerly Twitter) showing him working out, while also thanking High-Performance Center Director Aaqib Javed for his support.

thank you very much, Aqib bhai #nca 🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/5IYoYi2dAB
— Umar Akmal (@Umar96Akmal) August 21, 2025

The video quickly gained traction online, with cricket fans flooding the comments section urging Umar to make a return:

“This is the energy we wanted to see! Come back stronger, bro.”
“Fitness is the key. You still have the shots, now prove the critics wrong.”
“Please make it count this time. You’ve got the talent, now show the commitment.”

Some even suggested he should restart through domestic cricket: “We miss you on the field. Start with domestic cricket and make a statement.”

Past struggles & controversies

Umar, who has had a turbulent career marred by disciplinary issues and fitness concerns, has often spoken about the difficulties he faced during his time in Pakistan cricket.

In a past interview, he revealed: “I don’t want my son to play for Pakistan because of what I went through. I don’t want him to face the same treatment.”

He also claimed that higher authorities influenced team selections, saying captains were pressured to drop him:
“There used to be calls telling captains not to include me in the team. I can even give you the number of one captain, Raza Ali Dar. You can call him and confirm. But he stood firm and said, how can I drop Umar Akmal?”