PCB questions 'compassionate grounds' on Umar Akmal's reduced ban after filing CAS appeal

Pakistan cricketer Umar Akmal was handed a three-year ban by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) earlier this year. The ban was imposed on the cricketer for not reporting corruption approaches made towards him ahead of the Pakistan Super League 2020 (PSL 2020) season. However, his three-year ban was later reduced to 18 months by an independent adjudicator on July 29.

On Tuesday, PCB Chief Operating Officer Salman Naseer made an official announcement that the country’s board has filed an appeal in the Court of Arbitration for Sports in Lausanne, Switzerland against the Umar Akmal ban reduction.

Umar Akmal ban reduced

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Umar Akmal ban reduction challenged by PCB

Salman Naseer said that issuing a challenge was difficult for PCB since the decision of Umar Akmal ban reduction was made by an independent adjudicator. However, he later claimed that the board found “some concerns” in the final report and felt that the punishment of 18 months was not enough. Naseer also said that the PCB has a zero-tolerance policy on anti-corruption clauses and the independent adjudicator wrote them that he was looking at the case on compassionate grounds before making his decision. According to Naseer, PCB’s main question with the adjudicator remains: “Should the punishment be reduced on compassionate grounds?”.

What does Umar Akmal ban reduction means for the cricketer?

The decision made on July 29 means that Umar Akmal will now be eligible to play from August 2021 onwards. The ban reduction will serve as a boost for the 30-year-old, who had decided to appeal his three-year ban on May 19. Umar Akmal’s appeal was based on the argument that players found guilty of similar infractions were given punishments that were less harsh. Mohammad Irfan was banned for six months in 2017 while Mohammad Nawaz was given a two-month-ban.

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Umar Akmal memes

For many years, Umar Akmal memes have been a constant feature on social media. When his three-year suspension news broke out, netizens once again took to social media platforms and subjected the cricketer to severe online mockery. Here is a look at some of the popular ‘Umar Akmal memes’ on Twitter.

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Image credits: AP