Umar Akmal’s suspension is big blow for PSL

KARACHI: The scourge of corruption reared its ugly head again on Thursday and the timing couldn’t have been worse.

Just hours before the opening ceremony of HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 5, it was announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that it has suspended Umar Akmal under its anti-corruption code.

Umar, Pakistan cricket’s enfant terrible, is a key player of defending champions Quetta Gladiators and was supposed to be in their playing eleven for the season-opening match against Islamabad United at the National Stadium on Thursday night.

Umar’s suspension comes as a big jolt for the PSL and has somewhat dampened the celebrations surrounding the fact that this is the first time that the entire T20 league will be taking place on Pakistani soil.

The PCB said that Umar won’t be able to compete in the PSL pending an inquiry. Umar, 29, who was once regarded as one of the most promising Pakistani batsmen, has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. During an 11-year career, he has been slapped with several penalties but this one, related to corruption, could well be the worst.

“He cannot take part in any cricket-related activity pending the investigation being carried out by PCB´s anti-corruption unit,” a PCB statement said. “As this is an ongoing investigation, the PCB will not make any further comments.”

Umar, who played 16 Tests, 121 one-day Internationals and 84 Twenty20 Internationals, was replaced in the Quetta squad by all-rounder Anwar Ali.

Umar has been suspended by the PCB under Article 4.7.1 of its anti-corruption code. His suspension comes as a blow for Quetta, who are looking to defend their title. In a short statement, Quetta announced that they won’t make any comment on the matter as it is being probed by the PCB.

The latest suspension adds to Umar’s bad boy image. He has been fined and penalised time and again for breaking team curfew and misbehavior and was even arrested in Lahore for violating traffic rules.

If found guilty, this latest offence could be a fatal blow for his international career, which has already touched rock bottom following a horrific return to the national team for the T20 International series against Sri Lanka at home last year.

His suspension also casts a doubt over all the anti-corruption measures taken by the PCB in recent times. It has refreshed memories of the spot-fixing scandal surrounding the PSL back in 2017 which resulted in the suspension of several Pakistani cricketers including Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Latif and Nasir Jamshed.