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
offence, 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.