Almost two weeks after having been handed out a three-year ban from all forms of cricket for corruption charges, Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal has refused to co-operate with investigating authorities.
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According to PCB sources, Akmal had a meeting with two unidentified men in Defence Housing Society in Lahore but is now refusing to divulge details. The unknown men are suspected to be the bookies.
“Umar claims both these gentlemen met him at parties thrown by friends in DHA. But he has refused to even tell the Anti-Corruption officials what was discussed at these meetings,” a reliable source in the Pakistan Cricket Board told PTI.
“Even when the Anti-Corruption officials first presented their report to him on the night between 19th and 20th February in Karachi, Akmal admitted he committed a mistake by not reporting the meetings to them but refrained from giving any details,” the source further said.
Akmal was charged for two breaches of PCB's anti-corruption code in relation to not disclosing invitations to engage in corrupt activities. On April 27, he was banned from cricket activities till February 19, 2023.
The 29-year-old has 14 days to appeal against the punishment. Sources close to Akmal said he has started consulting some lawyers on the case and will file an appeal.
The PCB source said Umar Akmal also gave conflicting statements before the Disciplinary Panel hearing on April 27.
“He refused to cooperate with the Disciplinary Panel Judge who advised him to come clean and cooperate with the inquiry,” the source said.
“Umar acted very strange. On One hand, he admits he should have reported the meetings to the PCB but yet refuses to give any details of what was discussed at these meetings.”
In his detailed judgement, PCB’s disciplinary panel chief Justice (retired) Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan has stated that Akmal did not show remorse nor did he seek an apology for failing to report corrupt approaches ahead of the fifth edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Umar Akmal has featured in 16 Tests, 121 ODIs and 84 T20Is, scoring 1003, 3194 and 1690 runs respectively. He last played for Pakistan in October 2019.
(With PTI inputs)
