Umar Akmal ban reduced to 12 months

LAHORE: The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) has reduced ban on Umar Akmal from 18 months to 12 and imposed a fine of Rs4.25 million.

CAS announced its decision on the appeals filed by PCB and Umar against the order of the Independent Adjudicator. CAS through a consolidated order on both appeals imposed on Umar Akmal a sanction of a 12-month ban and a fine of Rs4.25 million on one count of breaching Article 2.4.4 of the PCB Anti-Corruption Code.

PCB’s Independent Adjudicator last year had reduced the original three-year ban to 18 months on which Akmal approached the CAS.

Umar, who was suspended on February 20, 2020, will now be eligible to reintegrate into competitive cricket subject to deposits of the fine and undergoing the programme of rehabilitation under the PCB Anti-Corruption Code.

CAS rejected the request of Umar for the return of his two mobile phones, which are in PCB’s custody for investigation and held that under the PCB Anti-Corruption Code it has the power to do so.

On April 27, 2020, the Chairman Disciplinary Panel had found Umar guilty on two charges of separate breaches of Article 2.4.4 of the PCB Anti-Corruption Code in two unrelated incidents and handed a three-year suspension with the periods of ineligibility to run concurrently.