Kamran Akmal is very much part of our side, confirms Peshawar Zalmi

The Pakistan Super League franchise Peshawar Zalmi confirmed that wicket-keeper batsman Kamran Akmal will be a part of the team for the next edition of the competition.

The right-handed batsman had earlier opted out of the tournament as protest after he was relegated to the silver category during the players draft.

"For me self-respect is foremost and it's not about money," Akmal told ESPNcricinfo. "Had it about the more money I could have left Zalmi long ago but they are like a family and I never imagined leaving them.”

Zalmi's head coach Mohammad Akram on the other side said that picking Akmal in the Silver category was a part of the strategy. 

"We have a great respect for Kamran," Mohammad Akram, Zalmi's head coach, told ESPNcricinfo. "Picking him in the Silver category was a part of our strategy as draft dictates who you pick at what stage,” he said. 

“We had the right-to-match card with us and we saved it for him in case any team could have tried to pick him. So when you have a tool to protect your player you make sure that he isn't hurt money wise,” he added. 

Akram further said that the situation was pretty sorted after explaining everything to the wicket-keeper batsman.

"We respect his feelings but once I explained to him, he understood,” he said. 

“We named him as mentor as well. He is a very senior cricketer and as a coach I get motivation from his passion and hunger and hard work that he still puts in like an Under-19 boy. So it's all sorted and he is very much part of our side."