Umar Akmal was recently in the news when he was slapped with a three-year ban from playing in all forms of cricket by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after the 29-year-old failed to report a corrupt approach to the nation’s cricketing body.
As per PCB’s anti-corruption code, a player is required to immediately submit a report to a team manager or the concerned officials of the anti-corruption unit when he receives any match-fixing approach.
Now, PCB has released a statement which explains why Akmal was handed a ban of three years. As per the latest report, the Chairman of the Independent Disciplinary Panel, Mr Justice (retired) Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan, has revealed that Umar was not prepared to show remorse and even seek an apology.
“It appears that he (Umar Akmal) is not prepared to show remorse and seek an apology, make the admission that he failed to fulfil his responsibility under Anti-Corruption Code, Article 2.4.4, rather he tried to take refuge under the pretext that in the past whenever any such approaches were made, the matter was reported by him,” said Chauhan in the PCB release.
“As far as Charge No.1 is concerned, I do not see any circumstances to mitigate the nature of the offence, particularly, when the participant (Umar Akmal) has not cooperated with the PCB Vigilance and Security Department and the investigating team.”
Umar was temporarily suspended on the evening before the start of Pakistan Super League (PSL). He was charged with two breaches of Article 2.4.4 of the PCB Anti-Corruption Code in two unrelated incidents on March 17.
“In view of the admission of the participant (Umar Akmal) that he failed to disclose to PCB Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Department, the details of the approaches and invitations extended to him without unnecessary delay. The charge as framed is proved, and the participant (Umar Akmal) has rendered himself liable to be punished for breach of Article 2.4.4.
“Charge No.2, breach of Article 2.4.4 of the Code by failing to disclose to the PCB Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Department of the PCB, full details of the approaches and invitations received by you (Umar Akmal) to engage in corrupt conduct under the Code in respect of matches in PSL 2020.”
Umar is the younger brother of former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal. He played 16 Tests, 84 T20s, and 121 ODIs for Pakistan, and amassed 1003, 1690 and 3194 runs, respectively. The middle-order batsman has three hundreds and fifties to his name in international cricket.
