Umar Akmal to miss Zimbabwe ODIs, T20s

Umar Akmal, the Pakistan batsman, will miss the limited-overs leg of the Zimbabwe tour. Akmal, who is in the West Indies playing in the Caribbean Premier League, spent a night at the hospital after a seizure on the flight to Jamaica on Wednesday.

The PCB has asked Akmal to return to Pakistan so that he can be further examined by a neurologist. He will be accompanied by a doctor on his return flight as a precautionary measure. Wicketkeeper batsman Sarfraz Ahmed has been named his replacement for the ODIs and the T20s.

The PCB received the confirmation from the West Indies about Akmal's medical condition and decided not to send him on the tour of Zimbabwe.

"He has immediately been called back," the PCB said in a statement. "He will undergo complete medical examination to reassess the level of his fitness, meanwhile National Selection Committee has proposed the name of Sarfraz Ahmad as his replacement for Pakistan ODI and T20 squads for the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe."

Akmal, 23, had recently been awarded a cash prize of Rs. 600,000 (USD $6000) for his performances in the limited-overs series against West Indies. He played some valuable knocks during the series and was solid behind the stumps. However, he has had a disappointing run at the CPL, where he is representing the Barbados Tridents, scoring 49 runs at an average of 8.16. Akmal was scheduled to join the Pakistan squad directly in Zimbabwe next week.