KARACHI: Controversial Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal could face a lifetime ban if convicted of match-fixing charges unveiled Friday by the country’s cricket authorities.
The 29-year-old was provisionally suspended by the anti-corruption unit of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on February 20, the day when the Pakistan Super League commenced in Karachi.
The PCB said Umar violated its code on two counts.
“The PCB has charged Umar Akmal with two breaches of the anti-corruption code which relates to not reporting a fixing offer,” said a PCB press release.
Under the PCB anti-corruption code a player is required to immediately report to a team manager or officials of the anti-corruption unit when he receives an offer to fix a match.
Under the code if a player is found guilty the penalty ranges from a suspension of six months to a lifetime ban.
Umar has 14 days to respond to the charges in writing.
Umar has a history of disciplinary problems, having been arrested and detained for a day after a brawl with a traffic warden in 2014.
He was also banned for three months after a spat with then Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur in 2017.
Last month he escaped punishment after making rude remarks to a fitness trainer in Lahore.
Often described as a talented yet undisciplined cricketer, Umar has played 16 Tests, 121 one-day internationals and 84 Twenty20 internationals since his debut in 2009.
He last played for Pakistan in the Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka four months ago, failing to score in either match.
Umar’s anti-corruption case is the latest of many that has hit Pakistan cricket in the last 20 years, resulting in life bans and fines for several players.
The PSL was hit by a spot-fixing case in 2017 when openers Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif were banned for five years.
Pakistan’s Umar Akmal could face lifetime ban over corruption charges
https://arab.news/cce6p
Pakistan’s Umar Akmal could face lifetime ban over corruption charges
- Country's cricket authorities unveiled match fixing charges against him on Friday
- The 29-year-old was provisionally suspended by the cricket board on February 20
Gilgeous-Alexander leads Thunder in rout of Cavaliers
- Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Gilgeous-Alexander’s 30-point haul led the way, with center Chet Holmgren providing offensive support with 28 points and Luguentz Dort adding 18 points
Los Angeles: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder returned to winning ways with a 136-104 pummeling of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday.
Two days after suffering an upset defeat by Miami on Saturday, the NBA champions ensured there would be no repeat against Cleveland as the league marked the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday with a packed slate of fixtures.
Apart from a brief spell at the start of the first quarter, Oklahoma City led throughout, building up a double-digit lead before accelerating away with a 45-point fourth quarter.
Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Gilgeous-Alexander’s 30-point haul led the way, with center Chet Holmgren providing offensive support with 28 points and Luguentz Dort adding 18 points.
Isaiah Joe chipped in with 16 points from the bench while Aaron Wiggins finished with 12 as five Thunder players recorded double figures en route to a victory that sees Oklahoma City improve to 36-8 at the top of the Western Conference.
Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 19 points while four Cavs players — Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Jaylon Tyson and De’Andre Hunter — all finished with 16 points apiece.
In Monday’s other early game, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 21 points helped the Milwaukee Bucks hold off a late rally in a 112-110 road win over the Atlanta Hawks.
Milwaukee opened a 23-point lead midway through the third quarter but a stubborn Atlanta line-up chipped away at that advantage and grabbed a slender one-point lead with just over a minute remaining before the Bucks reasserted themselves to dig out victory.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker led Atlanta’s scoring with 32 points off the bench including seven three-pointers, with Jalen Johnson finishing with 28 points for the home side.
