ISLAMABAD – The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday banned testcricketer Umar Akmal link for threeyears from all forms of cricket on corruption charges.
“Umar Akmal is handed over three-year ban from all cricket by Chairman ofthe Disciplinary Panel Mr Justice (retd) Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan,” said aspokesman for the PCB here.
The hearing took place at the National Cricket Academy and safetyprecautions and social distancing measures were strictly enforced in orderto safeguard all those involved. In a detailed hearing, Umar decided torepresent himself and was heard at length, while the PCB was represented byMr Taffazul Rizvi.
Umar was charged with two breaches of Article 2.4.4 of the PCBAnti-Corruption Code in two unrelated incidents on 17 March and he hadresponded within the stipulated deadline. He was provisionally suspended on20 February 2020.
On 9 April, the PCB referred the matter to Chairman of the DisciplinaryCommittee after determining that the batsman had not requested for ahearing before the Anti-Corruption Tribunal.
Umar during an interview earlier had said that he was offered $200,000 byfixers to leave two deliveries in one of the matches. He also claimed thathe was offered money to skip matches against India.
“I was once offered $200,000 for leaving two deliveries. I was also offeredto skip matches against India,” he said in the same interview.
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The batsman also said that he was approached during ICC World Cup, 2015edition played in Australia and New Zealand. He had failed to mention if hehad reported this to the anti-corruption unit or not.
According to the ICC anti-corruption code 2.4.4 and 2.4.5, players arebound to report all the corrupt approaches made to them during any eventand failure of doing so carry a minimum punishment of five years.
PCB Director Anti-Corruption and Security Lt-Col Asif Mahmood, after theverdict said : “The PCB doesn’t take any pleasure in seeing a promisinginternational cricketer being declared ineligible for three years oncorruption charges, but this is once again a timely reminder to all whothink they can get away by breaching the anti-corruption code.
“The anti-corruption unit regularly holds education seminars and refreshercourses at all levels to remind all professional cricketers of theirobligations and responsibilities. And even then if some cricketers decideto take the Code in their hands, then this is how things will pan out.
“I request all professional cricketers to stay away from the menace ofcorruption and immediately inform relevant authorities as soon as they areapproached. This is in their as well as their teams’ and country’s bestinterest.”
