ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board has suspended batsman Umar Akmal under its anti-corruption code hours before the start of its premier domestic Twenty20 event in Karachi on Thursday.
The PCB did not reveal the exact nature of Akmal’s offense, but said in a statement that “the batsman cannot take part in any cricket-related activity pending the investigation being carried out by the PCB’s Anti-Corruption Unit.”
The suspension means Akmal will not be able to represent Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League as the title defenders will take on Islamabad United in the opening match later on Thursday night.
The PCB said that Quetta could apply for Akmal’s replacement for the fifth edition of the tournament which will be played in its entirety in Pakistan for the first time in four years.
Last week the PCB reprimanded Akmal but did not sanction the batsman for his alleged misbehavior with a staff member after a failed fitness test at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.
He was also sent back home from England in 2017 when he failed a fitness test before the Champions Trophy which Pakistan won.
The 29-year-old Akmal made a century in his debut test against New Zealand in 2009 but has played only 16 test matches since, scoring 1,003 runs with the last test against Zimbabwe in 2011.
In white-ball cricket, Akmal scored 3,194 runs in 121 ODIs and 1,690 runs in 84 Twenty20s.
He was recalled for the three-match Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka at Lahore last year but was out without scoring in the first two games before getting dropped.
Akmal suspended for violating PCB’s anti-corruption code
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Akmal suspended for violating PCB’s anti-corruption code
- Akmal will not be able to represent Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League
- He scored 3,194 runs in 121 ODIs and 1,690 runs in 84 Twenty20s
Pakistan PM to attend World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Switzerland next month
- The WEF meeting, scheduled to be held in Davos on Jan. 19-23, will focus on global challenges, public-private dialogue and cooperation
- Government, business, civil society and academia leaders will engage in forward-looking discussions to address these issues, set priorities
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will travel to Switzerland next month to attend the 56th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Pakistani state media reported on Monday.
The WEF annual meeting, themed as ‘A Spirit of Dialogue,’ will be held from Jan. 19 to Jan. 23 in Davos, where world leaders from government, business, civil society and academia will engage in forward-looking discussions to address global issues and set priorities.
Prime Minister Sharif is expected to interact with global leaders and investors on economic challenges, regional and international issues and various opportunities for cooperation.
On Monday, Deputy PM Ishaq Dar presided over a meeting in Islamabad to oversee preparations for Sharif’s upcoming visit to Switzerland to attend the WEF meeting, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“Dar instructed to maximize the engagements with the incoming Heads of States, Governments and senior leadership of economic, business and financial institutions,” the report read.
The WEF meeting program will be structured around key global challenges where public-private dialogue and cooperation, involving all stakeholders, is necessary for progress, according to the WEF website.
In addressing these challenges, growth, resilience and innovation will serve as cross-cutting imperatives, guiding how leaders engage with today’s complexity and pursue tomorrow’s opportunities.
Pakistani foreign ministry officials briefed the deputy PM about preparations for the WEF meeting, according to Radio Pakistan. The participants of Monday’s meeting in Islamabad discussed in detail the bilateral component and media engagements during the visit.
“He [Dar] further stressed that opportunities be explored to foster collaboration with private sector business entities,” the state broadcaster said.
