Islamabad, June 3 : Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal''s aggressive approach to his cricket has been regarded by some as brash, but the player says ‘that is just the way he is’.

"I''m not one of those players who let nerves effect them, or feel a lot of pressure. My approach is the same in international cricket as it is when I play club cricket in Model Town, Lahore, or for my domestic team SNGPL. I play my cricket hard, but try not to let pressure affect my performance," PakPassion. net quoted Akmal, as saying

"Some would say that it is being overconfident, but that''s just the way I am,” he added.

Akmal, who has passed the half century mark on 20 occasions, said that he really started believing in himself after the successful tour of Australia with the Pakistan "A" side.

“After that tour and with the help and advice from the likes of Basit Ali, Zaheer Abbas and Abdul Qadir, I feel I have improved as a cricketer. After my first two years in domestic cricket, Abdul Qadir identified me as someone with potential and picked me for the Pakistan "A" side and I will forever be thankful to Abdul Qadir for giving me the opportunity,” he added.

Akmal, who is one of several fresh young batting talents around the world that are adding glitz to international cricket, has been compared with Indian batsman Virat Kohli.

But he feels that he does not need to compete with any other batsman or attempt to copy any other current or former player, except his inspiring brother Kamran.

"People can compare me with anyone they want to, it doesn''t make any difference to me. I only look to one person for inspiration in my batting and that is my brother Kamran. I watch his batting closely as I have done over the years. I have my own style, so making comparisons with anyone else is pointless in my view," Akmal said. (ANI)