Daily Times

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday concluded an inquiry into alleged misconduct by Umar Akmal during a fitness test earlier this month, saying the incident happened due to a misunderstanding. According to a report, earlier this month, Akmal had exposed himself to a trainer during his fitness test out of frustration and asked him, “Where is the fat?”. The player’s brother, cricketer Kamran Akmal said that Umar had done it out of mischief. The PCB, in a statement said it was “fully aware of the matter and was looking into punishments in the context of bringing the game into disrepute”. The cricket board in its inquiry heard all parties concerned and concluded that the incident happened due to a “misunderstanding”, a press release issued by the board said. “After Akmal offered his regrets for the matter, the PCB reprimanded him and reminded the player of his responsibilities as a senior cricketer,” it said, adding that “the matter is now closed”. “The PCB and Umar Akmal will offer no further comments,” the press release said.

The shortcomings of the Akmal brothers around their fitness regimes has been a talking point for several years now, with Umar last falling foul of the PCB management on this count under former head coach Mickey Arthur; he was sent home on the eve of the Champions Trophy in 2017 after a failed test. Kamran, meanwhile, has not played for Pakistan since 2017, with his lack of athleticism in the outfield a major reason for his prolonged exclusion.