Here's why Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has suspended Umar Akmal

After escaping a ban for allegedly misbehaving with a trainer at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), Umar Akmal received a suspension from the Pakistan Cricket Board just before the commencement of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). The board suspended him with immediate effect under Article 4.7.1 of its Anti-Corruption Code.

This suspension ruled Akmal out of the ongoing PSL tourney however, the exact reason behind the suspension was not clearly explained by the board. The Quetta Gladiators have received a massive blow because the wicketkeeper-batsman was in good touch and he was looking to return to the international side with a solid performance in the PSL.

Pakistan Cricket Board has handed a provisional suspension to the right-handed batsman. Here’s what is stated in the article — Article 4.7.1 says that before charging a Participant with an offence under the Anti-Corruption Code, the PCB “shall have the discretion… to Provisionally Suspend the Participant pending the Anti-Corruption Tribunal’s determination of whether he/she has committed an offence”.

Thus, the board has provisionally suspended Akmal so that the Anti-Corruption unit can carry on their investigations without any disturbances. The charges imposed against Akmal are unknown but the Pakistani player could still be in hot water for his misbehaviour with the staff member at the NCA.

Quetta Gladiators sign Anwar Ali as Akmal’s replacement

Meanwhile, Akmal’s PSL franchise has roped in Anwar Ali as the replacement for him. The Lahore-born wicket-keeper batsman, Akmal could have provided a good amount of experience to the Gladiators as he has featured in 84 T20Is during his career. He aggregated 1,690 runs for Pakistan while playing in the shortest format of the game. Besides, he had a decent strike rate of 122.73.

His replacement, Anwar Ali is a fast-bowling all-rounder who has only played 16 T20 internationals in his career. In those matches, he has amassed 109 runs with his highest score being 46. With the ball, he has picked up 10 wickets at an economy rate of 8.31. Thus, Umar Akmal’s suspension will prove to be a big loss for the Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League 2020.

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