Daily Times

Umar Akmal’s flatter-to-deceive career took a massive blow on Thursday when the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) suspended the batsman pending an anti-corruption inquiry amid claims that he failed to report a spot-fixing approach.

However, in its official statement, the PCB did not get into the specifics of the breach committed by Akmal.  “The Pakistan Cricket Board today suspended Umar Akmal with immediate effect…he cannot take part in any cricket-related activity pending the investigation being carried out by PCB’s Anti-Corruption Unit,” the Board said in a statement. “As this is an ongoing investigation, the PCB will not make any further comments,” it said.

“Quetta Gladiators are allowed to apply for Umar Akmal’s replacement in the HBL Pakistan Super League 2020,” the PCB added.

He is the younger brother of former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal, who played 53 Tests, 58 T20s, 157 ODIs, and cousin of current captain Babar Azam.

The 29-year-old, who last played for Pakistan in October, has featured in 16 Tests, 121 ODIs and 84 T20s, scoring 1003, 3194 and 1690 runs respectively.

Akmal, who promised a lot after making a hundred in New Zealand on his Test debut, has failed to live up to the high expectations that came with some fine performances early in his career.

Earlier this month, Akmal had escaped a PCB ban for allegedly making crude remarks to a trainer during a fitness test at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.