Pakistan bans cricketer Umar Akmal for three years

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday slapped a three-year ban on middle-order batsman Umar Akmal for not reporting a spot-fixing offer earlier this year, a crime under the board's anti-corruption code.

"Umar Akmal handed three-year ban from all cricket by Chairman of the Disciplinary Panel Justice (retd) Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan," it said in a statement.

The star batsman, whose stop-start career has been tainted with scandals and disciplinary violations, was suspended from taking part in any kind of cricket-related activities in February during the Pakistan Super League, a professional Twenty20 cricket league.

He was subsequently charged with two breaches of Article 2.4.4 of the PCB Anti-Corruption Code on March 17, and a detailed hearing was held at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.

“The PCB doesn’t take any pleasure in seeing a promising international cricketer being declared ineligible for three years on corruption charges, but this is once again a timely reminder to all who think they can get away by breaching the anti-corruption code," PCB Anti-Corruption and Security Director Lt Col Asif Mahmood was quoted as saying.

Earlier in January, Akmal allegedly misbehaved with a trainer during a fitness test. The PCB said the incident happened due to a misunderstanding.

The 29-year-old, who last played for Pakistan in October last, has played 16 Tests, 121 One-Day, and 84 T20 matches, scoring 1,003, 3,194 and 1,690 runs in the three formats respectively.

Two of his brothers, Kamran Akmal and Adnan Akmal, have also represented the national cricket squad. His cousin Babar Azam is currently leading the Pakistani side in T20 format.