PCB refers Akmal’s case to disciplinary panel

LAHORE: National Cricketer Umar Akmal after his confession of not informing the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) about bookies approach may face jail term or a life ban after the PCB has referred his case to the disciplinary panel.

Reports attributing from the PCB states that he confessed to a number of offers of bribes but he could not inform PCB.After determining that Umar Akmal has not requested for a hearing before the Anti-Corruption Tribunal, the PCB has referred the matter to the Chairman of the Disciplinary Panel, Justice (retired) Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan, former Lahore High Court Judge.

The PCB made the determination after examining the contents of Umar Akmal’s reply in which no written request for a hearing before the Anti-Corruption Tribunal had been made for the purposes of contesting liability or level of sanction or both as per Article 4.6.6 of the PCB Anti-Corruption Code.

In accordance with the Article 4.8.1 of the Code, the Chairman of the Disciplinary Panel, shall now issue a public decision confirming the offences under the Code specified in the Notice of Charge and imposing applicable sanctions.

Until the Chairman of the Disciplinary Panel has announced his decision, the PCB will not comment on the matter, said a PCB statement. Umar Akmal was issued a Notice of Charge by PCB under the PCB Anti Corruption Code on March 17, and he had responded within the stipulated deadline. Umar Akmal was provisionally suspended on February 20.

His confessional statement and failure to inform PCB could lead the player to 18-month jail to three-year sentence and minimum six months to life imprisonment under Article 2 and Article 6 of the relevant law. The sources said that that Umar Akmal submitted his reply on March 31 through an email as previously he was issued notice of charges on March 17 and was given 14-day time to submit his reply to the board.Umar Akmal was the part of Quetta Gladiators but he was dropped after the allegations of corruption while Anwar Ali was hired by the board at this place.