Former SC judge to hear Umar Akmal's appeal against the ban
Former Supreme Court judge Mr Justice (retd) Faqir Muhammad Khokhar is set to hear tainted Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal's appeal against his three-year ban. The ban was imposed by the PCB for the batsman's failure to report corrupt practices to the ICC.
PCB Director of Anti-corruption and Security, Lt Col Asif Mahmood stated,
"The anti-corruption unit regularly holds educational seminars and refresher courses but even then, if some cricketers decide to 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 of corruption and immediately inform relevant authorities as soon as they are approached," he said.
Umar Akmal was banned for three years by PCB
Recently, PCB found Umar Akmal guilty of breaking the ICC anti-corruption code 2.4.4 and 2.4.5 which lays down that all cricketers who are approached for corrupt practices must report it to the ICC and a failure to do so can result in a minimum punishment of five years.
ICC anti-corruption code 2.4.4 says:
'Failing to disclose to the PCB Vigilance and Security Department (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitations received by the Participant to engage in Corrupt Conduct under this Anti-Corruption Code'.
PCB's Twitter post read,
"Umar Akmal handed a three-year ban from all cricket by Chairman of the Disciplinary Panel Mr Justice (retired) Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan."
Umar Akmal has been in the limelight for all the wrong reasons of late. In a shocking revelation, he admitted to have been approached by bookies and also being offered $200,000 to skip matches against arch-rivals India while also being asked to deliberately leave balls during matches. He even claimed to have been contacted by the bookies during the 2015 Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
“I was once offered $200,000 for leaving two deliveries. I was also offered to skip matches against India," Akmal said.
