Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi was, on Friday (May 1), critical of the suspended batsman Umar Akmal, saying the three-year suspension is fair to this controversial player who has always played for himself, not the team.
Earlier this week, the 29-year-old, who has played 16 Tests, 121 one-day internationals, and 84 T20Is for Pakistan so far, was banned from all forms of cricket for three years after he was found breaching PCB’s two anti-corruption code having failed to report details of corrupt approaches made to him.
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Speaking on a show with 24 News, Sethi revealed that Akmal was given several warnings during his time as well but the wicketkeeper-batsman refused to clean up his controversial behave.
Even Sethi further went on to claim that Akmal suffers from epilepsy for which he had refused to take treatment while suggesting he take a psychiatrist's help to overcome his never-ending issues.
Sethi told the 24 News, a TV Channel, “We had warned Akmal about this and even banned him earlier which is why I think the three-year ban is fair. He always played for himself and not the team. Umar is not disciplined despite being very talented. If he sits down with a psychiatrist and takes medical treatment, he might become more discipline-oriented.”
He further revealed, “As soon as I joined PCB, the first big issue I faced was regarding Akmal. He suffered an epileptic fit during the tour of the West Indies. We had medical reports that confirmed he suffered from epilepsy fits and we called him back from the West Indies. When I met him, I told him it was a serious problem and he needed to take a break and get proper treatment. But he was not willing to accept this.
He was mentally not there. Anyway, I stopped him from playing for two months but later on, we sent the medical reports to the selectors and left it to them because I didn’t like to interfere in their work. He had, both, psychological and medical problems. He was asked numerous times to mend his ways but he did not listen and consequently resulted in controversy after every two or three months.”
Sethi also claimed that Umar has always put himself above the team while reckoning the three-year ban imposed on Umar would eventually end his career.
He signed off by saying, “But he refuses to accept discipline and he is an individualistic player prone to play with instinct. He plays for himself, not for his team. He is outside all disciplines. I am afraid his career is threatened and it appears to me to be the end of the line for him. Umar has always been someone outside all discipline and this three-year ban was going to happen.”
(With 24 News Inputs)
