PCB bans Umar Akmal for three years from all forms of cricket

In the past couple of months, Umar Akmal has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. In February, the Pakistan international was charged for breaching the anti-corruption code of the Pakistan Cricket Board. Akmal was suspended after breaching the code not once but twice. It was revealed that PCB had charged Akmal for breaches of article 2.4.4 of the PCB anti-corruption code on two separate incidents.

In the recent development of news, Akmal has been banned for three years from all forms of cricket by PCB’s disciplinary panel for violating anti-corruption code.

Under the PCB’s anti-corruption code, a player is required to immediately report to a team manager or the officials of the anti-corruption unit after he receives an offer to fix a match. If a player fails to report the match-fixing approach, he can face a penalty– suspension of six months to a lifetime ban– if he is found guilty.

Umar Akmal’s career has been marred with many controversies

Umar has been in many controversies in the past too due to his disciplinary problems. In 2014, Akmal was detained for a day after he was involved in a brawl with a traffic warden. In 2017, the wicketkeeper-batsman was also suspended for three months after being involved in a spat with the national team’s head coach Mickey Arthur.

Akmal didn’t have a great start to 2020 either as he was found uttering rude remarks to a fitness trainer in Lahore. Akmal was found misbehaving with a trainer at Pakistan’s National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore. While undergoing a fitness test, Akmal reportedly stripped his clothes and asked the trainer to find body fat during his turn.

The trainer soon reported to Pakistan’s head coach and selector, Misbah-ul-Haq who asked PCB to hold an inquiry for the same. However, Akmal had escaped any punishment for that matter.

Many former Pakistan players have stated in the past that the 29-year-old has immense talent but is wasting career with such controversies. Akmal has donned the Pakistan jersey in 121 ODIs where he has scored 3194 runs at an average of 34.34. The right-handed batsman also has two tons and 20 half-centuries under his belt. With the red ball, Akmal has represented Pakistan in 16 Tests where he has amassed 1003 runs including a ton and six half-centuries.

Akmal’s last appearance for the national side was in a T20 International against Sri Lanka at Lahore in October 2019. Akmal has been associated with Central Punjab in First-class cricket and his last match for the side was in December 2019 against Northern Pakistan where he smashed a double century.