Umar Akmal has lodged a formal appeal against the decision of PCB's disciplinary panel to suspend him for three years on account of having seriously breached the board's code of conduct. The 29-year-old was banned from all representative cricket by Justice (retired) Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan, the Chairman of the Disciplinary Panel, on April 27 for two unrelated transgressions of the aforementioned code. As per clause 37 of the PCB's constitution, Akmal's appeal will now require the appointment of an independent adjudicator within 15 days. This independent judge will review the case and the quantum of punishment.
Akmal, 29, was provisionally suspended on February 17, withdrawn from PSL 2020 and later formally charged by the PCB on March 20 for breaches of Article 2.4.4 which deals with "Failing to disclose to the PCB Vigilance and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". His case was transferred to the Disciplinary Panel after he opted against contesting the charges before the Anti-Corruption Tribunal. His decision to forego a challenge, effectively left him having to accept the sanctions of Justice Chauhan, which, as per the code, could have ranged anything from a six-month suspension to a lifetime ban. Akmal, 29, is the younger brother of former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal, who played 53 Tests, 58 T20s, 157 ODIs, and cousin of current captain Babar Azam.Akmal, who last played for Pakistan in October, has featured in 16 Tests, 121 ODIs and 84 T20s, scoring 1,003, 3,194 and 1,690 runs respectively.
