Kamran Akmal's sacrificial goat gets stolen from his Lahore residence

Former Pakistani cricketer and wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal is once again in the news after he was a victim of a theft at his residential home at a private housing society in Lahore. His sacrificial animal, a goat, has been stolen from the Pakistani cricketer’s residence, according to his father.

The incident took place after the Akmal family had brought six goats for Qurbani a day ago, and they had tied them up together outside their home in Lahore. It is suspected that the crime took place in the early hours around 3 am when the servant tasked to keep an eye on the sacrificial goats was sleeping. 

According to Akmal’s father, the missing sacrificial goat was the best of the lot and cost around 90,000 rupees. The family of the cricketer has been assured that the goat will be recovered and the culprits will be apprehended, by the housing society’s security.

“The thieves have taken away the best of them which was bought at the price of Rs 90,000,” a lamenting senior Akmal stated on his missing goat to The News International.

Kamran Akmal on the professional front

Akmal, who had represented Pakistan in 53 Tests, 157 ODIs, and 58 T20Is, is plying his trade in the domestic leagues these days. The wicketkeeper-batter made his debut for the national side in 2002 and was an assuring presence behind the wickets, taking over the mantle from the likes of Moin Khan.

But inconsistencies crept into his game after his early years, and he was often criticized for his atrocious display with the gloves. Rarely did a Pakistani match went by without his name in the news for another mistake on the field. His career was never short on controversies either as he faced disciplinary action by the PCB in 2009 after refusing to accept a demotion from the side following his disastrous Sydney Test against Australia, where he dropped four catches and missed a run-out chance.

The 40-year-old did not make a feature for the red ball side since 2010 and hasn’t been in the reckoning for a national call-up since last appearing for Pakistan in an ODI against West Indies in 2017. The Lahore-born cricketer hails from a cricketing family as both his brother have represented Pakistan on an international stage and his first cousin Babar Azam is currently Pakistan’s captain in all three formats.