5 most overrated Test cricketers since 2000

#3 Umar Akmal

Umar Akmal has not lived up to the expectations generated from his early years in the game

During the first Test in Pakistan's tour of New Zealand in 2009, a batting star was born. Or so it appeared. On a quick Dunedin track, Umar Akmal flayed a bowling attack comprising the likes of Shane Bond and Chris Martin in a whirlwind 160-ball 129. The knock swept almost every onlooker of his feet and it seemed as if Pakistan had unearthed their most promising batting talent since the days of Javed Miandad.

Almost nine years since the highs of Dunedin, Umar Akmal's journey in Test cricket can be categorised as a lost cause. A penchant for playing reckless shots and throwing his wicket away at inopportune moments have resulted in him being pigeonholed as a dispensable limited-overs batsman. 16 Tests, the last of which came in September 2011, have yielded 1003 runs at an average of 35.82. A strike-rate of 65.98 can perhaps sum up his travails in the longest format.