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Umar Akmal

Umar akmal profile
Umar akmal profile Image: Wikimedia Commons. Umar_Akmal_2.jpg: Charaka Ranasinghe derivative work: Bigforrap (talk) / CC BY 2.0

Overview

Umar Akmal (born 26 May 1990) is a Pakistani cricketer who represented the Pakistan national cricket team between 2009 and 2019. A right-handed batsman and part-time spinner, he has also kept wicket in several One Day Internationals. He is one of three cricketing brothers, alongside Kamran Akmal and Adnan Akmal, both of whom have also kept wicket for Pakistan.

Key facts

Full name Umar Akmal
Date of birth 26 May 1990
Nationality Pakistani
Batting Right-handed
Bowling Part-time spin
Role Batsman; occasional wicket-keeper
ODI debut 1 August 2009 vs Sri Lanka
T20I debut 12 August 2009 vs Sri Lanka
Test debut 23 November 2009 vs New Zealand
International career 2009–2019
Domestic teams Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (until 2017); United Bank Limited (from August 2017)
Brothers in cricket Kamran Akmal, Adnan Akmal

Background

Umar Akmal comes from a well-known cricketing family in Pakistan. Like his brothers Kamran and Adnan, he has functioned as a wicket-keeper for the national team in addition to his primary role as a batsman. He has played franchise Twenty20 cricket for several teams around the world.

Domestic career

Akmal played domestic cricket in Pakistan for Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) for eleven years. In August 2017, he signed with United Bank Limited (UBL). He has also featured in numerous franchise Twenty20 leagues internationally.

International career

Akmal made his One Day International debut against Sri Lanka on 1 August 2009, followed by his Twenty20 International debut against the same opposition on 12 August 2009. He made his Test debut against New Zealand on 23 November 2009. He represented Pakistan in international cricket between 2009 and 2019.

Anti-corruption proceedings

In February 2020, Umar Akmal was suspended by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after breaching its Anti-Corruption Code. In April 2020, the PCB banned him from cricket for three years after he pleaded guilty to failing to report corrupt approaches. The following month, he lodged an appeal against the ban.

In July 2020, the ban was reduced to one-and-a-half years, with the suspension running from February 2020 to August 2021. In August 2020, the PCB appealed the reduction to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), while Akmal also appealed to the CAS to have the ban overturned.

In February 2021, the CAS reduced the ban to 12 months and imposed a fine of PKR 4.25 million (approximately USD 27,000) on Akmal. In July 2021, Akmal apologised for not reporting corrupt approaches the previous year. After the conclusion of his ban, he left Pakistan to sign a short-term contract with the Northern California Cricket Association in the United States.

Timeline

  • 26 May 1990 – Born.
  • 1 August 2009 – ODI debut against Sri Lanka.
  • 12 August 2009 – T20I debut against Sri Lanka.
  • 23 November 2009 – Test debut against New Zealand.
  • August 2017 – Signed with United Bank Limited after eleven years at SNGPL.
  • 2019 – Last appearance for Pakistan in the period covered.
  • February 2020 – Suspended by the PCB for breaching the Anti-Corruption Code.
  • April 2020 – Banned for three years after pleading guilty to failing to report corrupt approaches.
  • July 2020 – Ban reduced to one-and-a-half years.
  • August 2020 – PCB and Akmal both appealed to the CAS.
  • February 2021 – CAS reduced the ban to 12 months and imposed a PKR 4.25 million fine.
  • July 2021 – Apologised publicly; subsequently signed a short-term contract with the Northern California Cricket Association.

References