LAHORE: Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal’s three-year ban from cricket for failing to report a match-fixing approach was on Wednesday reduced to 18 months on appeal, meaning he can resume playing in August next year.
Former Pakistan supreme court judge and independent adjudicator Faqir Mohammad Khokhar announced the appeal result, which had been reserved two weeks ago, after a short hearing in Lahore attended by Akmal and his lawyer.
Akmal pleaded guilty in April to a charge of failing to report two match-fixing approaches and received a three-year ban for each offense, to run concurrently from February 20.
The anti-corruption code of Pakistan Cricket Board states that players must report all the corrupt approaches to the authorities.
Despite the reduction, Akmal complained he had been unfairly treated.
“I am still not satisfied because other players got less punishment on the same charge,” Umar told media, referring to a one-year ban (six months suspended) handed to fast bowler Mohammad Irfan in 2017.
Irfan had not contested the charge of failing to report and was given an “agreed sanction.”
“I will consult my lawyers and then try to get it reduced further,” Akmal said.
Following a brilliant Test debut in 2009 when he scored a century in New Zealand, the talented Akmal was touted as a future great but his career has been punctuated by controversy before this year’s ban.
Akmal was arrested in 2014 after a scuffle with a traffic warden in Lahore.
And he was banned for three matches and fined over a spat with Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur in 2017.
Pakistan’s Akmal has three-year cricket ban halved on appeal
https://arab.news/j9jga
Pakistan’s Akmal has three-year cricket ban halved on appeal
- Akmal complained he had been unfairly treated
- He pleaded guilty in April to a charge of failing to report two match-fixing approaches
Pakistan engages Saudi Arabia, China in bid to ease surging Middle East tensions
- Pakistan’s foreign minister stresses need for de-escalation in conversations with Chinese, Saudi counterparts
- Tensions in the Middle East continue to remain high as conflict between US, Israel and Iran intensifies
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar spoke to the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and China on Tuesday, stressing the importance of diplomatic engagement to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East as the Iran war intensifies.
Pakistan has constantly engaged regional countries in efforts to broker a ceasefire in the Middle East, after the US and Isreal launched coordinated strikes against Iran on Feb. 28.
Iran launched fresh attacks on Gulf countries on Tuesday morning, where it has targeted US military bases in recent weeks. In addition to firing missiles and drones at Israel and American bases in the region, Iran has also been targeting energy infrastructure which, combined with its stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, has sent oil prices soaring worldwide.
Dar spoke to Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan to discuss developments in the Middle East and ongoing deliberations at the UN Security Council, Pakistan’s foreign office said in a statement.
“DPM/FM shared Pakistan’s perspective, underscoring the importance of continued coordination and diplomatic engagement to support de-escalation and promote peace and stability across the region and beyond,” the statement said.
Dar, who also serves as Pakistan’s foreign minister, spoke to Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi over the telephone separately. The two discussed the evolving regional situation and broader global developments.
Dar underscored the need to ease tensions in the Middle East and the wider region during the conversation, the foreign office said.
Yi appreciated Pakistan’s constructive efforts aimed at promoting de-escalation and stability in the region, it added.
“The two leaders stressed the importance of de-escalation and emphasized the need to pursue dialogue and diplomacy in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter,” the foreign office’s statement said.
The conflict in the Middle East has hit Pakistan hard as well, forcing Islamabad to hike petrol and diesel prices by Rs55 per liter last Friday.
Pakistan’s government has also announced a set of austerity measures, which include closing schools and cutting down on government expenditures, as it evaluates petrol stocks and looks for alternative supply routes.
