An independent adjudicating judge of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reduced the three-year ban of batsman Umar Akmal to 18 months in a disciplinary case.
Retired Justice Faqir Muhammad Khokhar delivered the verdict at the National High Performance Center in Lahore.
On February 20, the batsman was charged by the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) disciplinary committee for failing to report two incidents of contact with suspects before the start of the Pakistan Super League. An appeal was filed against the one-year ban.
Under the PCB Anti-Corruption Unit Code of Conduct, all players must be notified.
In both cases, Omar Akmal violated Article 2.4.4 of the said Code.
Omar Akmal’s lawyer Tayyab Rizvi said, “We are grateful for the decision of the Independent Aid Judge to give us relief.”
“The sentence could be further reduced,” he said.
“The decision we were thinking of is not the same. In other cases, some players were given lesser sentences,” he said.
Talking to media on the occasion, Omar Akmal said, “I thank the judge, we will try to reduce the sentence further.”
“I am not satisfied with the decision. I will talk to the lawyers and the family and announce the plan of action,” he said.