PCB declares Umar Akmal's allegations as bogus and baseless

After passing out a controversial remark about the national team head coach Mickey Arthur, there is no running away for Pakistani batsman Umar Akmal. Akmal stated that Arthur has abused him verbally, however, there is no concrete evidence of it. After demanding a show-cause from the player, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) declared his allegations as bogus.

Akmal was blown out from Pakistan’s ICC Champions Trophy squad even after being selected in the first place, for failing in two consecutive medical tests. His friction with Arthur started when he wanted to avail Grant Flower’s service at the NCA, but the coach wasn’t willing to let him get that. Mickey said that Umar is not a centrally contracted player anymore and hence he can’t work with the coach at the NCA.

The 27-year-old then claimed that Arthur had abused him in front of the senior players, who didn’t protest but were a mere audience. After the allegations, PCB issued a notice demanding cause from the player for his controversial statement. They have now issued a statement which has declared the batsman’s claims as bogus. “While making frivolous allegations against the national team management, Umar has made a bogus attempt to deviate attention from his own failings,” the official statement read.

“Umar was given as many as seven chances to improve his fitness and match the standards of his teammates, laid out by the team management. Umar was given a program to improve his fitness like other players before the West Indies tour and after he failed the tests in Lahore, he was left out of the team. After clearing another test before the squad selection on eve of the ICC Champions Trophy in England, Umar was included in the eventual 15-member squad. Unfortunately the batsman remained incapable of reaching the requisite fitness level,” it further stated.

PCB warns Akmal not to commit the same mistake again

The 27-year old batsman has been asked to refrain himself from passing such a remark again. “The batsman will refrain from making baseless allegations,” the statement read.