BESIEGED Pakistan vice-captain Kamran Akmal has told his fellow selectors that if he does not wicketkeep this week in Hobart, he will not play as a batsman.
There has been some speculation that the struggling gloveman might stay in the side for his batting ability after a disastrous display behind the stumps in Sydney, but he has told the side it is all or nothing.
The wicketkeeper has six centuries and a dozen fifties from 48 Tests and is one of the more experienced players in the young team.
Akmal is insisting that he should be picked and as vice-captain he has one of the four votes on the touring selection committee which decides the final XI tomorrow, the player's 28th birthday.
There is some thought he may have the support of captain Mohammad Yousuf which could lead to a stand-off on match eve.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has sent over reserve keeper Sarfraz Ahmed and insisted he play in the Hobart Test.
The touring party is annoyed with the board, however, over its refusal to send out Younus Khan.
Yousuf and team manager Abdul Raquib asked for the former captain to join the team after the first Test, but the board did not respond and now Younus will not be here until the one-day series.
Akmal is their most immediate problem and he insists he is playing, but only if he is wicketkeeper and batsman.
"I am very happy with wicketkeeper-batsman, not only batsman. I will not play as a batsman," he said.
"I have pride playing for Pakistan as a wicketkeeper-batsman, so hopefully I am playing as wicketkeeper-batsman."
Akmal, who dropped four catches in the second innings in Sydney, said there was nothing wrong with his technique.
"It was a bad day for me, just forget it, it's finished," he said.
Akmal said he is receiving support from his brother Umar and family.
"They are supporting and encouraging and a lot of the family is praying for me and brother and team also," he said.
Family are not the only people supporting Akmal, with both Ricky Ponting and Brad Haddin giving him encouragement yesterday. The Australia wicketkeeper said he sympathised with his opposite number's plight.
"He's a proven performer at international cricket. I think he's played near 50 Tests and more importantly he's a good person so I would like to see him out there in this Test," Haddin said.
"We've all had those days and it feels just like quicksand.
"It feels like you can't fight your way out of it, but it's a new Test match and it gives you a couple of days to get away from the game and have a think about what happened.
"He's a quality international cricketer and I would be surprised if he didn't come out all guns blazing in this Test match."
Haddin, however, found it hard to understand how Akmal could turn down a place in the side if he was offered a batting position only.
"I think if you get a chance to play Test cricket whether it be a bowler, batter or keeper I think you jump at the chance," he said.
Ponting also endorsed Akmal.
"I saw some stuff on the news this morning about the captain not necessarily agreeing with the selectors as far as the wicketkeeping spot is concerned, but we will wait and see what happens," the Australia captain said.
"You've got to excuse Kamran Akmal a little bit. Yes, he's put down some easy catches, but his record for Pakistan over the past couple of years has been outstanding with the bat and with the gloves so I would be surprised if they left him out but we will wait and see."
Yousuf was non-committal yesterday about who would keep in the Test.
"He (Akmal) is here for playing, but we have not decided our 11 and the touring selection committee will decide on the 13th," the Pakistan captain said.
"It is a bit early (to decide on the wicketkeeper)."
The side also has to decide on who it leaves out now that young bowler Mohammad Aamer is fit.
"Bowling is not bad. We have a good bowling side. It is difficult to choose which bowler is playing," Yousuf said.
The captain again insisted that he must take the blame for playing a bad shot in the second innings in Sydney. "My team is all young. They don't take pressure. I am the captain," he said.
Yousuf blames his batsmen's rash shots on too much Twenty20 cricket and compared it to the popular Hollywood film Back To The Future.
"You've seen that film Back To The Future they are in Test cricket and suddenly they are back to the Twenty20," he said.
Umar Akmal did not train yesterday but Yousuf said he was suffering a sore back and was available for selection.
