The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday (April 27) banned the controversial batsman Umar Akmal for three years from all forms of cricket on corruption charges after he pleaded guilty to failing to report match-fixing approaches ahead of this year’s Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Recently, Akmal had admitted that he was offered $200,000 by fixers to leave two deliveries in one of the matches and was also offered money to skip matches against India. He further made a shocking revelation that he was approached during ICC World Cup in 2015 as well.
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Last month, the 29-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman, who last represented Pakistan in a T20I against Sri Lanka in Lahore last year, withdrew a challenge to the charges and now he was banned for three years by the PCB with match-fixing charges.
Well, many not happy with the decision, but former ICC President and Pakistan cricket legend Zaheer Abbas hailed the PCB’s decision, saying the right-hander deserved the punishment.
Former Pakistan captain also believes that the suspension would end Akmal’s cricketing career for Pakistan and he deserves it since he wasn't a junior and was well aware of the rules.
Abbas told The Indian Express, “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. Great players always follow the rules. Sachin Tendulkar, for example. If you aren’t following rules, you are doubtful about your career.”
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He further added, “I think his international career is all but over. He deserved punishment. He (Akmal) wasn’t a junior player. He was playing for Pakistan for a long time.”
Abbas signed off by saying, “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,”
(With The Indian Express Inputs)
