Brother Umar will definitely challenge ‘harsh’ three-year ban, states Kamran Akmal

Having hogged the limelight for all the wrong reasons ever since making his international debut back in 2009, Pakistan’s Umar Akmal yet again found himself on the end wrong end of things as on Monday, the 29-year-old was handed a three-year ban by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for failing to report corrupt approaches ahead of PSL 2020. 

Now, a day after Akmal’s sentence, the batsman’s brother Kamran Akmal has come in defence of the younger Akmal and has labelled PCB’s sentence ‘harsh’. Kamran, who made his international debut 18 years ago, stated that his brother Umar will definitely challenge the ban imposed on him by the PCB.

“I am definitely surprised at the harsh punishment given to Umar. A three- year ban is very harsh. He will definitely approach every available forum to appeal against this ban,” Kamran said, reported Hindustan Times.

The 38-year-old, who was a controversial figure himself during the time he played for Pakistan, criticised PCB’s double-standards and pointed out how multiple players in the past were let off with smaller punishments for committing the same offence.

“Definitely it is hard to understand because other players in the past have got short bans for similar offences. Yet Umar has got such a harsh punishment.”

Despite piling on the runs in domestic cricket, Kamran Akmal has been completely phased out of the national set-up, with his last appearance for Pakistan coming in 2017 in an ODI against West Indies.