Umar Akmal Apologises For Mistake, Says It Taught Him A Lot

Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal has apologised for not reporting corrupt approaches last year, for which the 31-year-old was banned for 12 months. "Seventeen months ago, I made a mistake which caused dama

"I, Umar Akmal, would like to request all of you, as ambassadors of the sport, to stay away from any suspicious activities. If any suspicious individuals approach you, please report it to the anti-corruption unit in a timely manner so that your record and career remain clean."

In April 2020, the PCB's Disciplinary Panel had found Akmal guilty of two breaches of Article 2.4.4 of the PCB Anti-Corruption code. On account of this, he was handed a three-year ban. In July, on Akmal's appeal, an independent adjudicator brought down the period to 18 months.

In February this year, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reduced the ban to 12 months and reduced the fine from 12 million to 4.5 million Pak rupees. Akmal will now be eligible to return to the game after completing a rehabilitation programme by PCB. His last appearance for Pakistan was in November 2019.