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Friday March 29, 2024

Probe body wants ban, fine for Umar

By Abdul Mohi Shah
September 28, 2017

ISLAMABAD: Middle-order batsman Umar Akmal is facing a testing time ahead as the committee formed to look into his recent misconduct has recommended a ban on the player ranging from three to five matches along with some fine.

‘The News’ has learnt from well-placed sources that the committee headed by PCB Director (cricket operation) Haroon Rashid has recommended a three-match ban on the player and a fine usually imposed on violation of code of conduct.

The batsman was accused of misbehaving with national cricket coach Mickey Arthur.Though Umar Akmal furnished a reply to the charges leveled by the three-member committee, he was asked to be more specific in his reply.

The three-member committee comprising Amjad Hussain, Salman Naseer and Haroon Rashid later went through his second reply and decided to impose ban and fine on the player.“The committee has recommended a ban for three matches and a fine ranging from Rs300,000 to 500,000 on the player. It is just a recommendation, the final decision rests with Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Najam Sethi who is out of country right now,” a source said.

Once the PCB chairman gets back home, he would look into the committee’s recommendations. “It is up to the chairman to decide as what to do with these recommendations as he has the powers to increase or decrease the amount of fine as well as period of ban,” the source added.

“I think the time has come to address attitude problem on part of the batsmen once and for all according to the PCB’s disciplinary rules. What we have decided is according to the laid down rules. We cannot go beyond them. There is a set penalty of each and every misconduct and indiscipline,” one of the members of the committee, when contacted, said.

The member claimed that in the case of Umar public outburst is nothing new. During last two years he came out open with unnecessary criticism of his colleagues and now against the national coach.

“Someone has to stop Umar now. The time has come when the PCB has to get into all this and to stop misconduct. Umar’s problem is that he went public on many occasions in recent past and that is a clear violation of the contract. The recommendations were made considering these breaches.”

Umar had a verbal brawl with fellow Ahmed Shehzad during the World Cup. Later he was unrealistic in his public criticism of left-arm pacer Junaid Khan. Off and on he was seen arguing with traffic police officers in Lahore.

There are also reports that Umar skipped one of the training camps at the start of the last season for getting treatment abroad and on his return he did not submit details of that particular treatment.