Daily Times

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is seeking an explanation from batsman Umar Akmal after he said in a television interview that he had been approached to fix matches. The PCB’s anti-corruption unit has scheduled a hearing for Wednesday (tomorrow) after Umar, who has made 116 ODI appearances, told a local channel that he had been offered $200,000 to “leave two balls alone” in a World Cup match against India in 2015. The 28-year-old also said he regularly received offers to fix games against India and that he had always rejected them. “In fact, every match I play against India, they offer me money to make some excuse and opt out of the game. But I have told those people that I am very sincere about playing for Pakistan and to not talk to me on this topic ever again.”

But he could be in hot water with both the PCB and International Cricket Council if he failed to report such approaches. Match-fixing has become a major concern for the sport in recent years, and a high-profile incident involving Pakistan on tour to England in 2010 saw Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir found guilty of being part of a plot to bowl no-balls at pre-arranged times during a test.

It is unclear whether Uamr had previously reported these alleged approaches to the anti-corruption authorities, and therein could lie a problem for him. While there is no evidence to suggest Umar has been involved in any corrupt activity, failure to report an approach is also a punishable offence under PCB and ICC rules. The ICC, in an official statement, said it had launched an investigation and that it wished to speak to Umar ‘urgently’.

Umar has been embroiled in a number of controversies of late. In May last year, in the lead-up to the Champions Trophy, Umar had to return home after failing two fitness tests in two days. In September, he picked up a three-match ban and a fine of Rupees one million for his public outburst against coach Mickey Arthur. Then, in March this year, his future with Pakistan Super League franchise Lahore Qalandars came into question after he was left out of the squad following a poor run of form; it was understood that he was not even travelling to the stadium with his team-mates at that point.

Published in Daily Times, June 26^th 2018.