Umar Akmal return ‘delights’ Leicestershire

The club situated in the English Midlands was “delighted” to announce the signing of Akmal who has scored 5,259 runs for Pakistan in all three formats of the game and has a career T20 strike rate of about 123.

Akmal’s match-winning innings of 76 off just 49 balls at Nottinghamshire Outlaws and a well-constructed fifty in a partnership with Irish teammate Niall O’Bren against Birmingham Bears during his first spell at the club was convincing enough for the owners to sign the 25-year-old cricketer from Lahore for the 2016 version of the NatWest T20 Blast.

Scoring 133 runs at a blistering strike rate of over 143 and getting dismissed just once in four games, the Pakistan batsman was one of the star performers of the recently concluded T20 blast, which is the premier division T20 competition in England.

The hard-hitting batsman also made his first-class and List A debuts for the Foxes against Lancashire and the touring New Zealanders respectively.

Leicestershire and Rutland Cricket Chief Executive Wasim Khan MBE said Akmal was a positive influence during his time at the county cricket club.

Akmal is rejoining as the Foxes' second overseas player after Ireland's Kevin O'Brien was also roped in.

“We saw the positive influence that Umar and Kevin had during their time at the club this year. They are exciting cricketers to watch, have experience at the highest level, and are both matchwinners with their clean, powerful striking of the ball,” Wasim told the club's website.

“They showed their ability by both having an immediate impact with Kevin batting beautifully in his first game at Lancashire and Umar playing our best innings of the tournament at Nottinghamshire on debut. I know our members and supporters enjoyed watching them play and we are excited to welcome both players back to Grace Road,” he added.