BANNED

Umar Akmal slapped with three-match ban

by Cricbuzz Staff • Published on

Umar Akmal had been sent back to Pakistan ahead of the Champions Trophy earlier this year © Getty

Umar Akmal's outburst against Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur hasn't gone down too well with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The board has banned Akmal for three matches - international or domestic whichever comes first - apart from slapping a fine of Pakistan Rs 1 million. In addition to that, the batsman won't be granted No Objection Certificate for the next two months to appear in foreign leagues.

"PCB chairman upon his return from abroad has reviewed the report on Umar Akmal submitted by PCB's Disciplinary Committee. Umar Akmal had appeared before the committee to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against him for allegedly violating clauses 2.2.5, 4.1 and 4.4 of his central contract," the board said in a statement. "The PCB Disciplinary Committee found Umar to be in breach of the aforesaid clauses of his central contract on multiple occasions."

Akmal was issued a show cause notice after he lashed out at Arthur's behaviour towards him. "I had gone to England for rehabilitation of my knee injury," Akmal had said. "After I recovered, I went to the NCA to start working on my fitness and training. But the coaching staff doesn't want to work with me at all. When I asked why all those international coaches didn't want to work with me, they responded that they wanted to prioritise working with players who had central contracts. I said that I too am an international Pakistan cricketer, and if my fitness is lacking - and I admit that along the way my fitness has been found wanting - they should help me.

"I then went to talk to the chief selector (Inzamam-ul-Haq), but he referred me to Mickey Arthur. Arthur took me back to Inzi bhai's room and started scolding me and using bad language in front of Inzi bhai, which I found demeaning and insulting.

"It's not even my fault, and I find it painful that anyone should be allowed to swear at me. I accept my fitness isn't up to the mark, and I am trying to work on it, and I asked to be allowed a trainer to help me. But Mickey said I shouldn't even have come to the NCA, and should be playing club cricket instead."

Akmal then wrote a letter to the board claiming to have been 'mentally shocked, disturbed and surprised to hear the harsh and slang words from Arthur, who ordered him out of the NCA to play club cricket. Owing to fitness issues, Akmal was earlier sent home from England ahead of the Champions Trophy. While Akmal admits to needing work on his fitness, he says in the letter that the abuse is intolerable for any Pakistani.

"It was not written anywhere in law that any person has a legal authority to hurt feelings, self respect and to disgrace and abuse a Test player in front [sic] of the chief selector Mr. Inzamam-ul-Haq and Academy Coach Mr. Mushtaq and other persons," he had written.

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