Umar Akmal has been suspended with immediate effect by the Pakistan Cricket Board under the governing body's anti-corruption code. While PCB has not divulged details pertaining to Umar's latest transgression, their decision has put paid to the 29-year-old's plans of participating in the forthcoming season of the Pakistan Super League which begins on February 20. Umar's franchise, Quetta Gladiators, will be allowed to sign a replacement, reports Cricbuzz.
While a board-appointed or independent tribunal will determine if Umar is indeed guilty of wrongdoing, the invoking of Article 4.7.1 of the anti-corruption code is a potential indicator of the graveness of the offence. As per the said code of the PCB constitution, the board "shall have the discretion, in circumstances where it considers that the integrity of the sport could otherwise be seriously undermined, to Provisionally Suspend the Participant pending the Anti-Corruption Tribunals determination of whether he/she has committed an offence.
"Any decision to Provisionally Suspend the Participant will be communicated to the Participant in writing, with a copy sent at the same time to the ICC and, where applicable, the National Cricket Federation to which the Participant is affiliated."
The suspension is the latest in Umar Akmal's storied dalliance with controversy. Most recently, he was reprimanded and let-off by the board after he allegedly fully exposed himself to a trainer after failing a skin-fold test and asked: "Where is the fat?"
