Umar Akmal’s three-year ban reduced to 18 months

LAHORE: An independent adjudicator on Wednesday reduced the three-year ban imposed on cricketer Umar Akmal to eighteen months.

Former Supreme Court judge Justice Faqir Mohammad Khokhar conducted the hearing at the National High Performance Centre in Lahore as independent adjudicator of the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Umar Akmal was banned by the Chairman of the Disciplinary Panel Justice (retd) Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan for three years after finding him guilty of breaching Article 2.4.4 of the PCB Anti-Corruption Code in two separate incidents.

The 30-year-old batsman had submitted an appeal against a three-year ban imposed on him before the start of the Pakistan Super League.

Akmar’s counsel Tayyab Rizvi said that they were “grateful to the independent adjudicator for granting them relief” but the decision was not as expected and should be reduced further.

Umar Akmal appeared unsatisfied with the decision and said that he would try to get the ban reduced further.

“I am thankful to respectable judge for listening to my case and lawyers properly. I will now decide to appeal against my punishment and further reducing the suspension” Umar said while talking to reporters.

“I am not satisfied with the decision, I will now consult with my lawyers and family on what to do next. Many players in the past have made mistakes and look at the punishment they received and what I got,” he added.

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