Umar Akmal cannot take part in any cricket-related activity pending investigation being carried out by PCB's Anti-Corruption Unit. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
New Delhi:
Umar Akmal's troubles has only mounted. The Pakistan batsman, who recently escaped a ban for allegedly making crude remarks to a trainer, has now been suspended by the Pakistan Cricket Board with immediate effect under Article 4.7.1 of the Anti-Corruption Code, which means he cannot take part in any cricket-related activity pending investigation being carried out by PCB's Anti-Corruption Unit. This means that Umar Akmal, who was in the squad for Quetta Gladiators in the upcoming Pakistan Super League T20, will now be ineligible to play in the tournament.
Quetta Gladiators, who are the defending champions of the Pakistan Super League T20, will be allowed a replacement in Umar Akmal's absence. "As this is an ongoing investigation, the PCB will not make any further comments," the statement from the Pakistan Cricket Board read.
Umar Akmal was recently trolled on social media after a screenshot of a now-deleted tweet went viral for its hilarious caption. Sharing a picture of him with former teammate Abdul Razzaq, Umar Akmal wrote "Mother from another brother", botching up the popular phrase which is "Brother from another Mother". While the batsman deleted the tweet soon after posting it, the screenshot of the tweet was shared widely, with "#UmarAkmalQuote" becoming a trend, as users wrote their own botched up versions of popular quotes using the hashtag.
More Troubles
Umar Akmal reportedly asked a trainer "where is the fat" while exposing himself completely during a fitness test. The matter was reported to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and according to an 'ESPNcricinfo' report, they are fully aware of the incident that took place at the National Cricket Academy and are looking at potential punishments for bringing the game into disrepute. The junior Akmal, who is reported to have exposed himself in frustration after failing to pass one of the fitness tests, is now faced with the prospect of being banned from the country’s next domestic tournament.
Umar Akmal will not play for Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League slated to begin soon. (Image credit: Getty Images)
He is said to have asked a staff "bataye charbee kaha hain (tell me where is the fat)". Fitness has been an issue with the Akmal brothers for several years now with Umar falling out with the PCB on the same grounds during Mickey Arthur’s time as head coach. This comes at a time when the PCB, under the stewardship of former captain Misbah-ul-Haq, has pledged its commitment to maintaining high fitness standards not just in international but also in domestic cricket.
As per Misbah's instructions, each provincial side is required to regulate fitness tests on a quarterly basis. Umar’s elder brother Kamran, who himself skipped two fitness tests, before failing in nearly all departments when he finally did take one, said the incident at the NCA was simply a "misunderstanding".
Also Read | Umar Akmal Faces Sanctions For Misbehaving During Fitness Test: Report
Once seen as a bright prospect, Umar scored a century on Test debut against New Zealand in 2009, and remained a regular feature for some years until poor form and fitness led to him being dropped in favour of Sarfaraz Ahmed. In 16 Tests, Umar made 1003 runs with one century and six fifties. While in 121 ODIs, he has 3194 runs with two centuries—the best being 102 not out. In 84 T20 Internationals, Akmal has made 1690 runs with the highest score of 94 and eight half-centuries to his name.
