Edgbaston Test was a time to reflect - Kamran Akmal

Kamran Akmal, the Pakistan wicketkeeper, has said being dropped for the second Test against England at Edgbaston gave him an opportunity to reflect on and assess his game. Kamran was dropped after a poor run with the bat and the gloves but returned for the third Test at The Oval after his replacement, Zulqarnain Haidar, was ruled out of the remainder of the tour due to a fractured finger.

Kamran's form has been under scrutiny for a long while now and he experienced an all-time low in the Sydney Test against Australia in 2009-10 when a series of lapses contributed to defeat in a Test Pakistan were poised to win. "There have been some technical issues with both the bat and the gloves," Kamran told PakPassion.net. "I have been looking at the batting issues with Ijaz Ahmed and more recently with Mohammad Yousuf. Missing the match at Edgbaston gave me the ideal opportunity to assess my game and it was the perfect time for some reflection.

"Alec Stewart provided me with some tips on my wicketkeeping and I have been implementing Alec's ideas and thoughts. In addition to Alec Stewart's help, Paul Farbrace and Wasim Bari have also provided me with some advice and guidance on a couple of technical issues. I've taken on board all of the advice that has been given to me and it definitely paid dividends at the Oval."

Kamran had a rewarding game at The Oval, with eight catches in Pakistan's four-wicket win. However, he has had a hard time with bat in the recent past; his scores in his last six innings read 15, 13, 0, 0, 10, 0. Kamran sought inspiration from Alastair Cook's return to form. "All players suffer a bad spell in their career with the bat. Take a look at Alistair Cook who has been struggling with the bat of late, but he has bounced back with a century at The Oval. I will look at the way he has fought back with the bat as an inspiration and hope that I can do the same at Lord's."

Pakistan are trailing the Test series 1-2, but Kamran backed his team to draw level, adding that the return of Mohammad Yousuf from retirement had made a major difference. "Yousuf's introduction to the squad has made a huge difference to everyone's morale and belief. He's such an experienced campaigner and his calmness really rubs off on the rest of us. Amir's in great form and Wahab Riaz bowled very well on debut. We'll give it our best shot at Lord's and I hope that we can level the series."

England and Pakistan play the final Test on August 26.