Daily Times

KARACHI: Former legendary batsmen Zaheer Abbas and Javed Miandad have backed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s decision to ban middle-order batsman Umar Akmal for three years over corruption charges. Akmal has been banned for breaching Article 2.4.4 of the (PCB)’s Anti-Corruption code. He had failed to disclose corrupt approaches made to him and was suspended just before the beginning of Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season Five. While speaking to the Indian Express, Abbas said that the hard-hitting batsman might not get an opportunity to represent Pakistan again. “I think his international career is all but over. He deserved the punishment,” said Abbas. “He (Akmal) wasn’t a junior player. He was playing for Pakistan for a long time. He must have been told by the PCB about the ICC Anti-Corruption rules many times – what to do when a corrupt approach is made. But he was ignoring it. PCB got to know that somebody (a corruptor) was trying to get hold of Umar. Later on he confessed, but it was too late. How can you say he is a great talent when he isn’t following the rules? If you aren’t following the rules, then you aren’t a great player,” he added. Miandad, in a YouTube video, requested the upcoming players to learn from Akmal’s mistakes. “He was a very good cricketer but he got involved in unnecessary controversies. I had told him many times to change himself but he didn’t listen to anyone. Today, the result is in front of everyone, he got banned for three years,” said Miandad. “I would like to request youngsters, please don’t put yourself into such things. It will ruin your careers for sure.”