Pakistan's Umar Akmal appeals against his three-year ban
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Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal, who was handed a three-year ban by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for failing to report a corrupt approach, on Tuesday appealed against the suspension. For Umar’s appeal, PCB will appoint an independent panel.
Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal, who was handed a three-year ban by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for failing to report a corrupt approach, on Tuesday appealed against the suspension. For Umar’s appeal, PCB will appoint an independent panel.
As per reports, Umar has hired Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs, Babar Awan’s law first to help him in the case.
PCB had banned Umar from all forms of cricket in April after the board’s disciplinary panel found his guilty of not reporting corrupt approaches before the start of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2020. The right-handed batsman was suspended hours before Quetta Gladiators locked horns with Islamabad United in the tournament opener in February.
The Pakistan board charged him for two separate breaches of Article 2.4.4. of Anti-Corruption Code in February. Umar is the younger brother of former Pakistan wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal and cousin of current limited-overs captain Babar Azam. Umar has represented Pakistan in 16 Tests, 121 ODIs and 84 T20Is, and was touted as a promising youngster before getting in constant troubles due to his off-field behaviour.
Interestingly, chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board’s disciplinary Justice (retired) Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan, in his detailed judgement earlier this month, observed that Umar didn’t show any remorse nor did he seek an apology after the verdict, submitted a detailed judgement to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which was made public on Friday.
“It appears that he (Umar Akmal) is not prepared to show remorse and seek an apology, make an admission that he failed to fulfil his responsibility under Anti-Corruption Code...,” Justice Chauhan had said in the judgement.