'Surprised' Kamran Akmal Reacts To Brother Umar's Ban
Published - 28 Apr 2020, 12:20 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:05 AM
Kamran Akmal has leapt in defence of his brother Umar after the latter was slapped with a three-year ban by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday. The PCB banned Umar from all cricket for three years over a corruption case that surfaced on the eve of the fifth edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL).
The PCB had formally charged the controversial last month for two breaches of its anti-corruption code in relation to not disclosing invitations to engage in corrupt conduct.
Umar was provisionally suspended on February 17 when he was withdrawn from PSL 2020 and later formally charged by the PCB on March 20 for breaches of Article 2.4.4 which deals with “Failing to disclose to the PCB Vigilance and Security Department (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitations received by the Participant to engage in Corrupt Conduct under this Anti-Corruption Code”.
His case was transferred to the Disciplinary Panel after he opted against contesting the charges before the Anti-Corruption Tribunal. His decision to forego a challenge, effectively left him having to accept the sanctions of the disciplinary panel which could have ranged anything from a six-month suspension to a life-time ban.
And in the wake of the ban, Kamran Akmal has made it clear that he is not at all impressed with the length of the ban. The former Pakistan wicketkeeper labelled the punishment as ‘harsh’ and simply ‘hard to understand’.
“I am definitely surprised at the harsh punishment given to Umar. A three- year ban is very harsh. He will definitely approach every available forum to appeal against this ban,” Kamran Akmal was quoted as saying by PTI.
He cited the examples of other players, saying that they had received short bans for committing the same offence. Kamran Akmal also said that his younger brother would contemplate acquiring the services of a legal counsel to draft his appeal on the available forums.
“Definitely it is hard to understand because other players in the past have got short bans for similar offences. Yet Umar has got such a harsh punishment,” he said.
