Umar Akmal’s suspension reduced to 12 months after successful appeal
Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal, who last year was handed a three-year ban by the PCB, has been handed a lifeline as The Court of Arbitration (CAS) has reduced his suspension to just 12 months. Akmal, last year, was found guilty of failing to report a corrupt approach by a PCB disciplinary panel.
On April 7, 2020, Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal was handed a three-year suspension by a PCB disciplinary panel for twice failing to report a corrupt approach. After being provisionally suspended on February 17, 2020 - due to which he missed the PSL - the PCB formally charged Akmal for breaching Article 2.4.4 for “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".
Upon appealing this verdict, Faqir Muhammad Khokhar, a former Supreme Court judge, had his sanction halved to 18 months in July last year, but, against this order, the 30-year-old approached The Court of Arbitration (CAS). Now, the junior Akmal has officially won the trial as the CAS confirmed that the batsman’s ban has been reduced to just 12 months. Akmal had argued to the court that his punishment has ‘harsh’, and while the PCB appealed against the reduction of the 30-year-old’s ban, the CAS ruled the verdict in favour of Akmal.
The reduction of the ban means that, thanks to having already served out the 12-month period, Akmal is now free to be reintegrated into the country’s set-up. He is, however, required to pay a fine of PKR 4.25 million, along with which he is also needed to undergo a rehabilitation program as per PCB's anti-corruption code.