Urdu (;["Urdu"](_blank)
''cricketer
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
who played for Pakistan national cricket team
The Pakistan national cricket team or Pak cricket team, often referred to as the Shaheens (), Green Shirts, Men in Green and Cornered Tigers is administered by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The team is a Full Member of the International C ...
between 2009 and 2019. He was banned by the Pakistan Cricket Board
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is a sports governing body for cricket in Pakistan responsible for controlling and organising all tours and matches undertaken by the Pakistan national cricket team. A member of the International Cricket Coun ...
for eighteen months for not disclosing offers related to spot fixing
Spot-fixing is illegal activity in a sport in which a specific aspect of a game, unrelated to the final result but upon which a betting market exists, is fixed in an attempt to ensure a certain result in a proposition bet. Examples include someth ...
until August 2021.
Akmal made his One Day International
A One Day International (ODI) is a form of limited overs cricket, played between two teams with international status, in which each team faces a fixed number of overs, currently 50, with the game lasting up to 9 hours. The Cricket World C ...
(ODI) debut on 1 August 2009 against Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
, his Twenty20 International
A Twenty20 International (T20I) is a form of cricket, played between two of the international members of the International Cricket Council (ICC), in which each team faces a maximum of twenty overs. The matches have top-class status and are the ...
(T20I) debut on 12 August 2009 against Sri Lanka, and made his Test
Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to:
* Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities
Arts and entertainment
* ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film
* ''Test'' (2014 film), ...
debut against New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
on 23 November 2009. He is a right-handed batsman
In cricket, batting is the act or skill of hitting the ball with a bat to score runs and prevent the loss of one's wicket. Any player who is currently batting is, since September 2021, officially referred to as a batter (historically, the ...
and a part-time spinner. Like his two brothers, Adnan
Adnan ( ar, عدنان, 'adnān) is the traditional ancestor of the Adnanite Arabs of Northern, Western, Eastern and Central Arabia, as opposed to the Qahtanite Arabs of Southern Arabia who descend from Qahtan. His ancestry can be traced back t ...
and Kamran
Kamran ( fa, کامران ''Kāmrān'') is a Persian male given name meaning 'prosperous, fortunate'. The name is commonly used in Iran and Azerbaijan, in addition to Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Turkey, Pakistan. Variants include Kâmran and Kamu ...
, Umar has kept wicket for the national team in many ODIs.
Domestically, he played for Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited
Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) ( ur, ) was incorporated as a private limited Company in 1963 and later converted into a public limited company in January 1964 under the Companies Act 1913 of British India, now The Companies Act 2017 ...
for eleven years, before signing with United Bank Limited
United Bank Limited (UBL) () is a Pakistani multinational commercial bank which is a subsidiary of British company Bestway Group. It is based in Karachi, Pakistan. It is one of the largest banks in the Pakistani private sector, with over 1,400 br ...
in August 2017. He has also played in many franchise Twenty20 teams around the world.
In February 2020, he was suspended by the Pakistan Cricket Board
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is a sports governing body for cricket in Pakistan responsible for controlling and organising all tours and matches undertaken by the Pakistan national cricket team. A member of the International Cricket Coun ...
(PCB), after he had breached their Anti-Corruption code. In April 2020, the PCB banned him from cricket for three years, after he pled guilty to failing to report corrupt approaches. The following month, he lodged an appeal against his ban. In July 2020, Akmal's ban was reduced to one-and-a-half years, with his suspension running from February 2020 to August 2021. In August 2020, the PCB appealed the ban reduction to the Court of Arbitration for Sport
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS; french: Tribunal arbitral du sport, ''TAS'') is an international body established in 1984 to settle disputes related to sport through arbitration. Its headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland and its co ...
(CAS) and Akmal appealed to the CAS to have his ban overturned. In February 2021, the CAS reduced the ban to 12 months and imposed a PKR 4.25 million (27,000 USD
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
) fine on Akmal.
In July 2021, Akmal apologised for not reporting corrupt approaches last year, which led to him being banned for 12 months. He then left Pakistan to sign a short-term contract with the Northern California Cricket Association in the United States.
Personal life
Born to Mohammad Akmal Siddique, "a very senior administrator in Pakistan cricket", in a family of seven children, with six sons who all played cricket at some point but many went to business, and one daughter. He is the youngest brother of Adnan Akmal
Adnan Akmal (Urdu, pa, ; born 13 March 1985) is a former international Pakistani cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper who plays for Zarai Taraqiati Bank Ltd Cricket Team and has represented his country at U-17 level. He ...
and Kamran Akmal
Kamran Akmal (Urdu, pa, ; born 13 January 1982) is a Pakistani former cricketer, who played for Pakistan as a right-handed batsman & wicketkeeper. He started his international career in November 2002 with a Test match at Harare Sports Club.
...
who are also cricketers, both wicket-keeper
The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being watchful of the batsman and ready to take a catch, stump the batsman out and run out a batsman when occasion arises. Th ...
s. He is also the cousin of Pakistani batsman Babar Azam
Mohammad Babar Azam (Urdu, pa, ; born 15 October 1994), is a Pakistani international cricketer and captain of the Pakistan national cricket team in all formats. Regarded as one of the finest batters in contemporary world cricket, he is the o ...
.
In 2014 he married Noor Amna, the daughter of Pakistan leg-spinner Abdul Qadir
Abd al-Qadir or Abdulkadir ( ar, عبد القادر) is a male Muslim given name. It is formed from the Arabic words '' Abd'', ''al-'' and '' Qadir''. The name means "servant of the powerful", ''Al-Qādir'' being one of the names of God in the ...
.
Early career and domestic career
Akmal represented Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
in the 2008 U/19 Cricket World Cup
The 2008 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup was held in Malaysia from 17 February 2008 to 2 March 2008. The opening ceremony took place on 15 February 2008. The final was played between South Africa and India, which India won by 12 runs on the Duckwo ...
in Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
. After his success at the U-19 level he earned himself a first-class contract and played the 2007–08 season of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy
The Quaid-e-Azam Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket competition in Pakistan. With few exceptions, it has been staged annually since it was first played during the 1953–54 season. Domestic cricket in Pakistan has undergone many reorganis ...
, representing the Sui Northern Gas team.
He is an aggressive style cricketer. In only his sixth first-class match he scored 248 off just 225 deliveries, including four sixes. He followed that up with an unbeaten 186 in his 8th first-class match, off just 170 balls. He fared less well in his second season of first-class cricket, with a string of low scores batting at number 3.
He found form in the final few matches of the 2008/09 season and then in the RBS T20 tournament which led to him getting selected to play for Pakistan A side on their tour to Australia A.
Akmal came to prominence during the Australia A tour in June/July 2009. In the two unofficial Test matches he recorded scores of 54, 100*, 130, 0. In the unofficial ODI series that followed, Akmal continued his fine form with a century in the opening ODI encounter off just 68 deliveries. These performances made him gather considerable praise from the media who were there to witness him and calls began to grow about his inclusion in the ODI series for the main Pakistan side against Sri Lanka. Later that year, Akmal made his Test, ODI, and T20I debut.
He played for Sui Northern Gas in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy until 2016–17, during which time Sui Northern Gas won three times ( 2007-08, 2014-15, 2015-16). However, he was briefly dropped from the first-class side for the 2012 President's Trophy. Akmal played for United Bank Limited in 2017–18, and for Habib Bank Limited
Habib Bank Limited ( ur, ) abbreviated as HBL, is a Pakistani multinational bank based in Habib Bank Plaza, Karachi, Pakistan.
Founded in 1939 by the Habib Family, HBL became Pakistan's first commercial bank. In 1951 it opened its first inter ...
in 2018-19 and won the 2018–19 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy
The 2018–19 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy was a first-class domestic cricket competition that took place in Pakistan from 1 September to 8 December 2018. Following the conclusion of each match, the teams played each other in a List A fixture in the 20 ...
with Habib Bank Limited.
Akmal played for the Lahore Lions
Lahore Lions ( ur, لاہور لائنز, Punjabi: لہور لائنز abbreviated as LIO) was a Pakistani franchise cricket team representing the city Lahore and was one of the 19 domestic teams. The team was established by Lahore Regional Cri ...
in the National T20 Cup
The National T20 Cup is a men's professional domestic Twenty20 cricket competition in Pakistan. Established in 2005, it is one of the world's oldest Twenty20 cricket leagues. It was the principal T20 competition in the country until 2016, when t ...
until 2015–16, during which time Lahore Lions won the tournament three times ( 2010-11, 2012-13, 2013-14).
Akmal played for Balochistan
Balochistan ( ; bal, بلۏچستان; also romanised as Baluchistan and Baluchestan) is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. ...
in the 2016 Pakistan Cup
The 2016 Pakistan Cup was a five-team limited overs (one-day) cricket tournament that took place in Faisalabad, Punjab, from 19 April to 1 May 2016. It was contested by teams representing Pakistan's four provinces and the capital. Squads for the ...
. He captained Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
in the 2017 Pakistan Cup
The 2017 Pakistan Cup was the second edition of the Pakistan Cup, a List A cricket competition. It was held from 16 to 29 April 2017, with all the matches played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi. It was contested between five teams, ...
, with Punjab finishing 4th out of 5th.
In April 2018, he was named in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, ...
's squad for the 2018 Pakistan Cup
The 2018 Pakistan Cup was the third edition of the Pakistan Cup, a List A cricket competition which was contested between five teams. It was held from 25 April to 6 May 2018, with all the matches played at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad. Federal ...
. He was the leading run-scorer for Habib Bank Limited
Habib Bank Limited ( ur, ) abbreviated as HBL, is a Pakistani multinational bank based in Habib Bank Plaza, Karachi, Pakistan.
Founded in 1939 by the Habib Family, HBL became Pakistan's first commercial bank. In 1951 it opened its first inter ...
in the 2018–19 Quaid-e-Azam One Day Cup
The 2018–19 Quaid-e-Azam One Day Cup was the first edition of the Quaid-e-Azam One Day Cup, a List A cricket tournament that took place in Pakistan from 6 September to 4 November 2018. Each match was played after the conclusion of the correspo ...
, with 410 runs in ten matches. In March 2019, he was named in Baluchistan
Balochistan ( ; bal, بلۏچستان; also romanised as Baluchistan and Baluchestan) is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. ...
's squad for the 2019 Pakistan Cup
The 2019 Pakistan Cup was the fourth edition of the Pakistan Cup, a List A cricket competition which was contested between five teams. It was held from 2 to 12 April 2019, with all the matches played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The Pakis ...
. In the opening match of the tournament, he scored 136 not out
In cricket, a batter is not out if they come out to bat in an innings and have not been dismissed by the end of an innings. The batter is also ''not out'' while their innings is still in progress.
Occurrence
At least one batter is not out at t ...
, his highest total in List A cricket
List A cricket is a classification of the limited-overs (one-day) form of the sport of cricket, with games lasting up to eight hours. List A cricket includes One Day International (ODI) matches and various domestic competitions in which the numbe ...
. He was the leading run-scorer in the tournament, with 342 runs in five matches.
In September 2019, he was named in Central Punjab
Central Punjab is a region in Punjab, Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-mos ...
's squad for the 2019–20 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy
The 2019–20 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy was a first-class domestic cricket competition that took place in Pakistan from 14 September to 31 December 2019. Habib Bank Limited were the defending champions. However, after the new domestic structure annou ...
tournament. Central Punjab won the tournament and Akmal was named man of the match in the final.
Test career
Akmal made his Test
Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to:
* Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities
Arts and entertainment
* ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film
* ''Test'' (2014 film), ...
debut against New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
at Dunedin
Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...
on 23 November 2009. On the third day of his debut test, Akmal hit 129 runs from 160 balls becoming only the second Pakistani to score a hundred on debut away from home after Fawad Alam
Fawad Tariq Alam (Urdu: فواد عالم, born 8 October 1985) is a Pakistani cricketer and actor who plays for Sindh cricket team, Sindh and the Pakistan national cricket team. He made his international debut for Pakistan in May 2007. He retur ...
.
This feat also made him the first Pakistani batsman to score both his maiden Test and ODI century away from home, following his ODI century against Sri Lanka. The innings was noted as special due to Pakistan's tough position in the match and the hundred partnership which Akmal was involved in alongside his elder brother Kamran. He followed up the century in the first innings with a fifty in the second innings.
In only his second Test match he was moved up the order to the crucial spot of number 3, where he struggled initially but managed to counter-attack the hostile bowling with his natural flair, making 46 runs before he was undone by an inswinger by Daryl Tuffey.
In the second innings he was moved down the order to his usual batting spot of number 5 as captain Mohammed Yousuf chose to bat at number 3 himself, and Akmal looked his usual aggressive self throughout his innings of 52 runs which came off only 33 balls.
He had his first failure in the first innings of the third test at Napier where he was caught in the gully for a duck but scored a rearguard 77 in the second, promoting him to the leading run scorer of the series. Akmal finished the tour with 400 runs at an average of 57.14.
Akmal played his last test match in the one-off test against Zimbabwe in 2011. Akmal scored only 15 in that match and was dropped from the test team thereafter and has yet to be recalled.
ODI and Twenty20 career
In an interview, Akmal said "My own dream is to one day play for Pakistan alongside Kamran Bhai (Akmal's brother) and I'm working hard to try and achieve that goal". Akmal was selected in Pakistan's squad for the One Day International Series against Sri Lanka in July–August 2009.
After not playing in the first ODI, Akmal made his debut in the second match of the series replacing Mohammad Yousuf
Mohammad Yusuf, Muhammad Yousuf and other spellings, may refer to:
Politicians
* Mohammad Yusuf (politician), prime minister and foreign minister of Afghanistan
* Mohammad Yousef, a governor of Daykundi of Province, Afghanistan
* Muhammad Yusuf ...
in the middle order. In only his second career ODI, Akmal scored his maiden ODI fifty. He followed up his maiden fifty by scoring a century in the very next match. For this match winning effort he was awarded his career's first Man of the Match
In team sport, a player of the match or man of the match or woman of the match award is often given to the most outstanding player in a particular match. This can be a player from either team, although the player is generally chosen from the winn ...
award. His exploits in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
earned him a place in the Pakistan squad for the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy
The 2009 ICC Champions Trophy was a One Day International cricket tournament held in South Africa between 22 September and 5 October, at Wanderers Stadium and Centurion Park, both in the Gauteng province. Originally, the tournament was scheduled ...
.
His 41 not out against West Indies was a match winning knock and landed him his second career Man of the Match
In team sport, a player of the match or man of the match or woman of the match award is often given to the most outstanding player in a particular match. This can be a player from either team, although the player is generally chosen from the winn ...
award. His next big innings came in the semi final against New Zealand, where he scored a brisk 55 in a losing effort, before he was wrongly given out by umpire Simon Taufel
Simon James Arthur Taufel (born 21 January 1971) is a former Australian cricket umpire who was earlier a member of the ICC Elite umpire panel. He won five consecutive ICC Umpire of the Year awards between 2004 and 2008, and was generally consid ...
, who later apologized.
Despite the fact that Akmal is not a wicket-keeper he kept wicket for Pakistan temporarily in the third ODI against England in 2010 from the 27th over onwards because his elder brother Kamran was being diagnosed for an injury to his finger. Umar Akmal scored 71 runs from 52 balls in his debut World Cup
A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...
match and was named Man of the Match.
In February 2012, Pakistan faced England in four ODIs. Pakistan's brittle batting meant the team management chose to play Akmal as a wicket-keeper based on his batting, though his brother Adnan was considered the better 'keeper'. The result of choosing the less accomplished glovesman was that in the first two matches Umar Akmal missed opportunities to dismiss Ravi Bopara
Ravinder Singh Bopara (born 4 May 1985) is an English cricketer who plays for Sussex County Cricket Club in one day cricket. Originally a top-order batsman, his developing medium pace bowling has made him a batting all rounder in the one day ...
and Alastair Cook
Sir Alastair Nathan Cook (born 25 December 1984) is an English cricketer who plays for Essex County Cricket Club, and played for England in all international formats from 2006 to 2018. A former captain of the England Test and One-Day Intern ...
early in their innings, and they respectively went on to score a half-century and a century.
Akmal was included in Pakistan's squad for the 2012 World Twenty20. Pakistan made it to the semifinal where they lost to Sri Lanka.
Akmal was dropped from ODI series against Sri Lanka in 2015, but called up for the T20I series. He proved his value to the team, by scoring 24-ball 46 runs in the first T20I match.
Akmal was initially suspended from Pakistan's T20I series against England for attending a party without PCB permission, but was subsequently cleared of wrongdoing and allowed to go on tour. Akmal scored only 26 runs across 3 innings in that series.
Akmal was initially suspended from Pakistan's first T20I against New Zealand due to an incident in the final of the recently concluded Quaid-e-Azam trophy. However, the suspension was lifted on appeal. Akmal was the highest run scorer of the T20 series for the Pakistanis with 85 runs across three innings with one fifty.
Akmal played in the 2016 World Twenty20
The 2016 ICC World Twenty20 was the sixth edition of the ICC World Twenty20, the world championship of Twenty20 International cricket. It was held in India from 8 March to 3 April 2016, and was the first edition to be hosted by India.
Seven ...
. Akmal was dropped from the T20 side afterwards. He was also dropped from a training camp afterwards for disciplinary issues.
Akmal was recalled to the T20 side for the series against West Indies. He played one game with a high score of 1*.
Akmal was dropped from the ODI side for the series against West Indies due to fitness issues. He was later recalled and included in the ODI squad for the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy
The 2017 ICC Champions Trophy was the eighth ICC Champions Trophy, a cricket tournament for the eight top-ranked One Day International (ODI) teams in the world. It was held in England and Wales from 1 to 18 June 2017. Pakistan won the competitio ...
only to fail a fitness test shortly before the tournament. Akmal was subsequently sent back and was replaced by Haris Sohail
Haris Sohail (Punjabi/; born 9 January 1989) is a Pakistani cricketer born in a Gujjar family of Sialkot, Pakistan. He is a left-handed batsman who bowls left-arm orthodox. He has represented Sialkot Stallions, Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited cri ...
.
Akmal was dropped from PCB's list of centrally contracted players on 12 July 2017 due to persistent fitness issues.
In March 2019, Akmal was recalled to the ODI squad for their series against Australia in the UAE. He scored 150 runs across 5 innings at an average of 30 and failed to cross 50 in the entire series. In addition, he was fined 20% of his match fee for breaking team curfew ahead of the 5th ODI.
Akmal was not picked for the 2019 Cricket World Cup
The 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup was the 12th Cricket World Cup, a quadrennial One Day International (ODI) cricket tournament contested by men's national teams and organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC). It was hosted between 30 May ...
squad.
In October 2019, Umar Akmal was recalled to the T20 side for Pakistan's home series against Sri Lanka. However, he scored two golden ducks in the first two games of the series and was subsequently dropped. As a result, he equalled Tillekaratne Dilshan's unwanted record for scoring the most ducks in T20Is with 10. Umar Akmal has the record for scoring the second most ducks in Twenty 20 cricket history (27) just behind Dwayne Smith
Dwayne Romel Smith (born 12 April 1983) is a former Barbadian international cricketer who has represented the West Indies in all three formats of the game. An all-rounder, he is known as an aggressive and powerful right-handed batsman, bowls m ...
.
T20 franchise career
Pakistan Super League
Akmal was bought by Lahore Qalandars
Lahore Qalandars ( ur, ; pnb, لہور قلندرز; abbreviated as LQ) is a Pakistani professional cricket franchise which plays in the Pakistan Super League, representing the city of Lahore. The home ground of the team is Gaddafi Stadium. ...
for US$140,000 in 2016 season. He performed well and ended up as the highest runs-scorer in PSL 2016 scoring 335 runs in seven innings with four half-centuries. His team didn't qualify for play-offs and finished last in the group stage. He was retained by Lahore Qalandars for 2nd season. He finished the season with 164 runs from 8 matches with only one fifty. He was again retained by Qalandars for 3rd season. He was eventually dropped by Lahore Qalandars for later part of the tournament for his below par performance and disciplinary issues.
Akmal joined Quetta Gladiators
Quetta Gladiators (Urdu, Balochi: ; Pashto: کویټه ګلیډیټرز) is a Pakistani professional Twenty20 cricket franchise that competes in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). They play most home games at the 27,000-capacity Gaddafi Stadium ...
for 4th season as a result of a trade. He scored 277 runs in 12 matches in the tournament.
Umar was originally part of the Quetta Gladiators squad for the 2020 season, but was removed a day before the tournament after he was suspended by PCB with immediate effect under Article 4.7.1 of its anti-corruption code, disallowing him from taking part in any cricket-related activity under the board's purview, "pending the investigation being carried out by PCB's Anti-Corruption Unit". He was replaced by Anwar Ali.
Caribbean Premier League
Akmal played for three seasons. He played for the Barbados Tridents
The Barbados Royals (previously known as the Barbados Tridents) are the representative franchise cricket team of Barbados in the Caribbean Premier League. They are one of the six teams specifically created in 2013 for the inaugural season of t ...
in 2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
, Guyana Amazon Warriors
The Guyana Amazon Warriors is a franchise cricket team of the Caribbean Premier League based in Providence, Georgetown, Guyana. The team is the representative cricket team of Guyana in the Caribbean Premier League. It was one of the six teams c ...
in 2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
, and the Trinbago Knight Riders
The Trinbago Knight Riders (formerly the Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel) are a franchise cricket team of the Caribbean Premier League based in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. The Red Steel was one of the original six teams created for the t ...
in 2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
.
While he was playing for the Barbados Tridents
The Barbados Royals (previously known as the Barbados Tridents) are the representative franchise cricket team of Barbados in the Caribbean Premier League. They are one of the six teams specifically created in 2013 for the inaugural season of t ...
, in the Caribbean Premier League
The Caribbean Premier League (abbreviated to CPL or CPLT20) is an annual Twenty20 cricket tournament held in the Caribbean. It was founded by Cricket West Indies in 2013 to replace the Caribbean Twenty20 as the premier Twenty20 competition in t ...
, he had to spend a night in hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emerge ...
after he suffered mild seizures. Following this, the PCB
PCB may refer to:
Science and technology
* Polychlorinated biphenyl, an organic chlorine compound, now recognized as an environmental toxin and classified as a persistent organic pollutant
* Printed circuit board, a board used in electronics
* ...
called him back for a complete medical checkup and also dropped him from the upcoming Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...
tour. On 6 September 2013, he was cleared by a neurologist, saying that the seizure was possibly due to a lack of sleep.
Other leagues
Akmal played for Wayamba United
Wayamba United was a franchise cricket team that took part in Sri Lanka Premier League, representing North Western Province. Wadhawan Holdings Private Limited purchased the team for $5.02 million in 2012 for a seven-year contract.
History
...
in the 2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
season of the Sri Lankan Premier League
The Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) was a Twenty20 cricket competition in Sri Lanka. It was intended to be the premier Twenty20 league in the country, held by Sri Lanka Cricket, when it replaced the Inter-Provincial Twenty20 competition.
After ...
(SLPL). Akmal played two games and scored 13 runs. However, Akmal would not play another season as the SLPL folded that year.
Akmal was picked for the Sydney Sixers
The Sydney Sixers are an Australian professional franchise men's cricket team, competing in Australia's domestic Twenty20 cricket competition, the Big Bash League (BBL). Along with the Sydney Thunder, the Sixers are the successors of the New ...
for the 2012-13 Big Bash but did not play a game.
Akmal spent two seasons in the Bangladesh Premier League
The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) ( bn, বাংলাদেশ প্রিমিয়ার লীগ) is a professional Twenty20 cricket league consisting of seven franchises. The BPL is one of the three professional cricket leagues in ...
. He played for Chittagong Vikings
The Chattogram Challengers ( Chittagonian/ bn, চট্টগ্রাম চ্যালেঞ্জার্স) is a franchise cricket team which participates in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). The franchise was founded in 2012 & based ...
in the 2015-16 season. The Chittagong Vikings finished bottom of the group that season. Akmal played for the Rajshahi Kings
Rajshahi Royals ( Varendri/ bn, রাজশাহী রয়্যালস) were a Bangladeshi franchise Twenty20 cricket team. The team was based in Rajshahi in Bangladesh and competes in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), a Twenty20 fra ...
in the 2016-17 season. He played nine games and scored 106 runs at an average of 13.25.
Akmal spent two seasons (2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
and 2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
) in the T20 Blast
The T20 Blast, currently named the Vitality Blast for sponsorship reasons, is a professional Twenty20 cricket competition for English and Welsh first-class counties. The competition was established by the England and Wales Cricket Board (E ...
. He played for the Leicestershire Foxes in both seasons. In 2015, he played 4 games and scored 133 runs at an average of 133 with two fifties and a high score of 76*. However, he fared worse in 2016. He played 6 games and scored 134 runs at an average of 33.5 with one 50.
In June 2019, he was selected to play for the Winnipeg Hawks franchise team in the 2019 Global T20 Canada
The 2019 Global T20 Canada was the second edition of the Global T20 Canada, a 20-over professional cricket tournament, played at the CAA Centre, Brampton, Ontario. It started on 25 July 2019, and concluded with the final on 11 August 2019. It ...
tournament.
Ban for corruption
On 20 February 2020, Akmal was provisionally suspended by PCB with immediate effect under Article 4.7.1 of its anti-corruption code, disallowing him from taking part in any cricket-related activity under the board's purview, "pending the investigation being carried out by PCB's Anti-Corruption Unit". This prevented Akmal from playing in that season's Pakistan Super League. On 20 March, the PCB formally charged Akmal with two breaches of its anti-corruption code for two unrelated incidents. The charges were laid under article 2.4.4 of PCB's anti-corruption code which deals with "Failing to disclose to the PCB Vigilance and Security Department (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitations received by the participant to engage in corrupt conduct under this Anti-Corruption Code". Akmal decided not to contest the charge, forgoing his right to a hearing in front of the PCB's Anti-corruption Tribunal, and instead his case went directly to the disciplinary committee, chaired by Retired Justice Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan. At the disciplinary hearing held on 27 April, Akmal appeared without a lawyer and did not plead guilty. Akmal admitted to being approached by two different men on separate occasions but tried to justify why he did not report these approaches to the PCB. At the end of the hearing, the PCB banned Akmal from all representative cricket for 3 years, with the ban to last until 19 February 2023. It was thought that his 3-year ban, which was longer than his fellow countryman Mohammad Irfan
Mohammad Irfan ( Punjabi, ur, ) (born 6 June 1982) is a Pakistani cricketer who has represented Pakistan in Test, ODI and T20 cricket. Known for his height of 7'1" (216 cm), he is the tallest player to play first-class and internatio ...
(12 month ban with 6 months suspended) for a similar offense, was due to a lack of remorse on Akmal's part. The following month, he lodged an appeal against his ban. In July 2020, Akmal's ban was reduced to one-and-a-half years, with his suspension running from February 2020 to August 2021. In August 2020, the PCB appealed the ban reduction to the Court of Arbitration for Sport
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS; french: Tribunal arbitral du sport, ''TAS'') is an international body established in 1984 to settle disputes related to sport through arbitration. Its headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland and its co ...
(CAS) and Akmal appealed to the CAS to have his ban overturned. On 26 February, the CAS reduced Akmal's ban to 12 months, meaning that Akmal can immediately return to playing cricket, subject to first completing a rehabilitation program under the PCB's anti-corruption code. In addition, the CAS imposed a fine of PKR 4.25 million (27,000 USD
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
).
Controversies
In addition to ban for corruption, Akmal has been involved in several on and off field incidents throughout his international and professional career.
In the final Test match of Pakistan's 2009–10 tour of Australia, Akmal allegedly feigned an injury to protest the dropping of older brother Kamran. Umar denied such rumors and played in the final match without his brother. Pakistan went on to lose that match by 231 runs and lost the three match series 3–0, with Akmal registering scores of only 8 and 15 in the match. He was later fined 2 million Pakistani rupee
The Pakistani rupee ( ur, / ALA-LC: ; sign: Re (singular) and Rs (plural); ISO code: PKR) is the official currency of Pakistan since 1948. The coins and notes are issued and controlled by the central bank, namely State Bank of Pakistan.
In ...
s and put on probation by the PCB for breaching his contract and speaking to the media without approval.
Akmal's name initially popped up in investigations surrounding the Pakistan cricket spot-fixing scandal
The Pakistan cricket spot-fixing scandal was a sports scandal that occurred during a Test match between England and Pakistan at Lord's, London, in August 2010. The scandal centered on three members of Pakistan's national cricket team, who w ...
. His name was mentioned by bookmaker Mazhar Majeed
Mazhar Majeed (born 1975) is a British sporting agent and bookmaker who came under police investigation in 2010 following reports of cricket 'match fixing' after a ''News of the World'' sting operation. On Saturday 28 August 2010, he was arrested ...
as someone who he was working with. However, no evidence was unearthed that Akmal had accepted any money in exchange for spot-fixing.
In Pakistan's semifinal loss against Sri Lanka in the 2012 ICC World Twenty20, Akmal was fined 50% of his match fee. In the 17th over of the second innings and with Akmal at the non-striker's end, Akmal called for a change of gloves despite instructions from umpires Simon Taufel
Simon James Arthur Taufel (born 21 January 1971) is a former Australian cricket umpire who was earlier a member of the ICC Elite umpire panel. He won five consecutive ICC Umpire of the Year awards between 2004 and 2008, and was generally consid ...
and Rod Tucker
Rodney James Tucker (born 28 August 1964) is an Australian cricket umpire, member of the ICC Elite Umpire Panel and officiates in international Tests, ODIs and T20Is. He was a cricketer who played briefly for New South Wales from 1985/86 to 198 ...
to the contrary. Akmal ignored the umpires and changed his gloves regardless. After the match, Akmal pled guilty and match referee Jeff Crowe
Jeffrey John Crowe (born 14 September 1958) is a former New Zealand cricketer. He played Test and One Day International cricket for New Zealand from 1983 to 1990, and first-class cricket for South Australia and then Auckland.
He has been an I ...
handed a level 2 charge and a fine of 50% of match fees, with Crowe noting "Umar showed blatant disregard to both the umpires' requests, which was offensive and unacceptable from an international cricketer and contrary to our unique spirit".
On 1 February 2014, Akmal was arrested by Gulberg Police in Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...
for allegedly not stopping at a traffic signal and subsequently getting into a physical altercation with the traffic warden which resulted in the warden's uniform being torn. Akmal was booked under Section 186, 279 and 353 of the Pakistan Penal Code
The Pakistan Penal Code (; ), abbreviated as PPC, is a penal code for all offences charged in Pakistan. It was originally prepared by Lord Macaulay with a great consultation in 1860 on the behalf of the Government of India as the Indian Penal ...
and a First Information Report
__NOTOC__
A first information report (FIR) is a document prepared by police organisations in Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asian countries including Myanmar, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan when they receive information about the commissio ...
(FIR) for "obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions, rash driving or riding on a public way and assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty". Akmal denied the claims and implied that he was physically attacked by the warden. Akmal was released on bail after 12 hours of police detention.
On 16 April 2014, four people were arrested at a party that celebrated Akmal's marriage to Noor Amma, the daughter of Pakistan leg-spinner Abdul Qadir
Abd al-Qadir or Abdulkadir ( ar, عبد القادر) is a male Muslim given name. It is formed from the Arabic words '' Abd'', ''al-'' and '' Qadir''. The name means "servant of the powerful", ''Al-Qādir'' being one of the names of God in the ...
, for violating local by-laws that were in place to curb excessively lavish wedding parties.
On 12 November 2015, Akmal was dropped from Pakistan's T20 side for their series against England for "bringing the PCB and Pakistan Cricket into disrepute." It was reported that Akmal had attended a party while playing for Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited in their Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match against Hyderabad
Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...
without the PCB's permission. Local newspaper ''Daily Kawish Sindhi'' had reported that some cricketers allegedly were engaging in "immoral activity" at the party. In Akmal's place, Rafatullah Mohmand was called up. Akmal was later reinstated after an investigation by the PCB into the activities at the party.
During the final of the 2015–16 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy
The 2015–16 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy was the 58th edition of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, the premier domestic first-class cricket competition in Pakistan. It was contested by 16 teams representing eight regional associations and eight departments.
Th ...
on 3–6 January 2016, Akmal reportedly wore a uniform that sported a different logo to that of his teammates. This constituted a charge of committing "abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during a match" which is a Level 1 charge of the PCB's code of conduct. As this was Akmal's third such offense, the PCB banned Akmal for one match, which ruled Akmal out of Pakistan's first T20 during their tour of New Zealand. However, Akmal was allowed to play after the ban was lifted on appeal.
On 26 April 2016, it was reported that Akmal was involved in a brawl at a local theater in Faisalabad
Faisalabad (; Punjabi/ ur, , ; ), formerly known as Lyallpur ( Punjabi, Urdu: لائل پور), named after the founder of the city, but was renamed in 1977 in honour of late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It is the 3rd largest city of Pak ...
. Allegedly Akmal had requested that a song be replayed, but the theater administration denied the request at which point Akmal got into an argument and was ushered outside. Akmal was cleared by the PCB the next day.
On 17 May 2017, the PCB fined Akmal and teammate Junaid Khan Junaid Khan may refer to:
* Junaid Khan (de facto ruler of Khiva), political leader in the Khanate of Khiva and the Basmachi movement
*Junaid Khan (cricketer), Pakistani cricketer
*Junaid Khan (actor)
Junaid Khan (born as Junaid Khan Niazi 2 ...
50% of match fees as well as being put on one month probation in relation to an incident that occurred during a Pakistan Cup match against Sindh on 27 April 2017. Akmal, who was captaining Punjab at the time, made comments at the coin toss explaining Junaid Khan's absence from that game, implying that Khan had simply decided not to show up. Later in the day, Khan rebutted the comments in the form of a video shot from his hotel room in which he stated that he was "saddened to hear the remarks Akmal made on television, saying 'I ran away from the team'... I am dealing with a case of food poisoning and the team management is aware of that... Umar Akmal knew of this..."
On 16 August 2017, about one month after losing his central contract due to persistent fitness issues, Akmal held an impromptu press conference in which he criticized then Pakistan national team coach Mickey Arthur
John Michael Arthur (born 17 May 1968) is a South African-Australian cricket coach, commentator and former cricketer, who played in South African domestic cricket from 1986 to 2001. He has served as the head coach of the Derbyshire County Crick ...
. It was reported that Akmal had tried to enter the National Cricket Academy (NCA) to work on his fitness, but none of the coaches wanted to work with Akmal since NCA coaches only work with PCB's centrally contracted players. Akmal then took up this issue with the chief selector at the time Inzamam-ul-Haq
Inzamam-ul-Haq SI ( ur, ; born 3 March 1970), also known as Inzi, is a former Pakistan cricketer and captain of Pakistan national cricket team. He was also professional cricket coach for Pakistan.
He was the leading run scorer for Pakistan i ...
who then redirected Akmal to Mickey Arthur. It was at this point that Akmal claimed that Arthur used "abusive language" towards Akmal. In a separate statement to the media, Arthur confirmed that an exchange occurred between himself and Akmal but denied using abusive language, instead saying that "he had to earn the right to use our support staff because he is not a contracted cricketer. He can't just walk in here and demand what he wants." The PCB issued a show-cause notice to Umar Akmal and formed a committee to investigate the situation. On 28 September, the PCB fined Akmal 1 million rupees, banned Akmal for 3 matches, and revoked Akmal's No-Objection Certificates (NOC) for the next two months. The revocation of Akmal's NOCs meant that Akmal was ruled out of all but the last two weeks of the Bangladesh Premier League
The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) ( bn, বাংলাদেশ প্রিমিয়ার লীগ) is a professional Twenty20 cricket league consisting of seven franchises. The BPL is one of the three professional cricket leagues in ...
.
On 24 June 2018, Akmal gave an interview with Samaa TV
Samaa TV ( ur, سماء) is a Pakistani Urdu language news channel owned by Aleem Khan. It is the fourth-largest news channel in Pakistan with a market share of 7 percent.
The word 'Samaa' ("سما") is Urdu for 'sky' or 'heaven'. It is broadcas ...
in which he revealed offers to spot-fix during the 2015 World Cup. Akmal reported that he was offered US$200,000 to "leave two balls alone" but Akmal denied accepting the offer. The PCB issued a show-cause notice and asked Akmal to come before anti-corruption unit on 27 June to explain his comments. The International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the world governing body of cricket. Headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, its members are List of International Cricket Council members, 108 national associations, with 12 List of Internation ...
(ICC) also began conducting its own investigations into the matter.
On 1 April 2019, Akmal was fined 20% of his match fee for breaking team curfew ahead of the 5th and final ODI of Pakistan's ODI series against Australia. Akmal headed out to watch an Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam (; born April 16, 1973), known mononymously as Akon, is a Senegalese-American singer, record producer, and entrepreneur. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of " Locked Up" (featuring Styles P) ...
concert on the night of 29 March without getting permission from team management.
On 2 February 2020, it was reported that Umar Akmal exposed himself to a staff member of the NCA while undergoing a fitness test. While undergoing a skin-fold test to measure body fat, Akmal undressed completely in front of the staff member and asked, "Where is the fat?" In response to this incident, the PCB initiated an inquiry that lasted two days. At the end of the inquiry, the PCB decided against handing any punishment, and instead "reminded him of his responsibilities as a senior cricketer".
References
External links
*
Umar Akmal
s profile page on Wisden
{{DEFAULTSORT:Akmal, Umar
Living people
Umar
ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb ( ar, عمر بن الخطاب, also spelled Omar, ) was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () as the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate o ...
Punjabi people
Cricketers from Lahore
Pakistani cricketers
United Bank Limited cricketers
Habib Bank Limited cricketers
Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited cricketers
Pakistan Test cricketers
Cricketers who made a century on Test debut
Pakistan One Day International cricketers
Pakistan Twenty20 International cricketers
1990 births
Cricketers at the 2011 Cricket World Cup
Cricketers at the 2015 Cricket World Cup
Wayamba United cricketers
Barbados Royals cricketers
Punjab (Pakistan) cricketers
Lahore Qalandars cricketers
Quetta Gladiators cricketers
Trinbago Knight Riders cricketers
Guyana Amazon Warriors cricketers
Leicestershire cricketers
Chittagong Vikings cricketers
Rajshahi Kings cricketers
Central Punjab cricketers
Wicket-keepers
People from Lahore