PCB suspends Umar Akmal under Anti-Corruption Code

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday announced that it had suspended Quetta Gladiators player Umar Akmal under the Anti-Corruption code.

The 29-year-old batsman has been suspended under Article 4.7.1 of the PCB Anti-Corruption Code which means he can not partake in any cricket-related activity till the investigation against him by the Anti-Corruption Unit doesn’t complete their probe.

Article 4.7.1 of the PCB Anti-Corruption Code

(a) the PCB decides to charge a Participant with an offence under this Anti-Corruption Code; or (b) the PCB considers that there are other exceptional circumstances relevant to a Participant (for example, where any relevant police authority has arrested and/or charged a Participant with an offence under any relevant criminal law in respect of facts or circumstances that may also constitute an offence under this Anti-Corruption Code), it, shall have the discretion, in circumstances where it considers that the integrity of the sport could otherwise be seriously undermined, to Provisionally Suspend the Participant pending the Anti-Corruption Tribunal’s determination of whether he/she has committed an offence. Any decision to Provisionally Suspend the Participant will be communicated to the Participant in writing, with a copy sent at the same time to the ICC and, where applicable, the National Cricket Federation to which the Participant is affiliated.

The Quetta Gladiators, who take on Shadab Khan’s Islamabad United today (Thursday) in the PSL 2020 opener, have been allowed to apply for a replacement for Akmal.

The pinch-hitter made headlines earlier this month for exposing himself to trainers at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore after failing a fitness test, telling them to “show me where the fat is.”

Following the incident, the NCA coaching staff had lodged a complaint with the PCB regarding Akmal’s behaviour.