Troubled cricketer Umar Akmal’s appeal against his three-year ban by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will be heard next Monday on July 13 by an independent adjudicator at the National High-Performance Centre in Lahore. The PCB announced the same on Monday (July 6).
The PCB further confirmed in a press release that the former Supreme Court Judge, Justice (retired) Faqir Muhammad Khokhar, in his capacity as an independent adjudicator, will hear Akmal’s appeal, while the notices for the hearing have been issued to all the parties involved.
Akmal had recently filed an appeal against the ban which was imposed after he failed to report corrupt approaches immediately to the PCB following some suspected persons met him on two different occasions ahead of the fifth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2020.
The hearing was previously scheduled for 11 June but had to be postponed due to the Coronavirus enforced lockdown in Lahore and it will now take place next week.
On 27 April, the Chairman of the Disciplinary Panel, Mr. Justice (retired) Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan, had banned Umar for three years after finding him guilty of breaching Article 2.4.4 of the PCB Anti-Corruption Code in two separate incidents – which each carries a three-year ban.
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Akmal, who last played for Pakistan in a T20 series against Sri Lanka in October 2019, was banned from all form of cricket for the charges under 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”.
The PCB said they will make no comment on the matter until Justice Khokhar has announced his decision.
(With PTI Inputs)
