Umar Akmal suffered from epilepsy but he was not willing to accept this: Former PCB Chairman Najam Sethi

Pakistan’s wicketkeeper-batsman Umar Akmal, on Monday, was banned by Pakistan Cricket Board for three years from all forms of cricket after the wicketkeeper-batsman failed to report a corrupt approach. Under the PCB’s anti-corruption code, a player is immediately required to report a corrupt approach being made to him.

If a player fails to report the match-fixing approach, he can face a penalty– suspension of six months to a lifetime ban– if he is found guilty of reporting corrupt approaches. Umar Akmal is known for a plethora of controversies in the course of his career. Moreover, another startling revelation has stirred up another controversy.

Former PCB Chairman Najam Sethi has claimed that banned Test batsman Umar Akmal suffers from epilepsy for which he had refused to take treatment.

Sethi was Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman and Head of Executive Committee between 2013 and 2018. He has revealed that Umar was not ready to accept this fact as he was mentally not there.

‘We called Umar Akmal back from West Indies’: Najam Sethi

“We had medical reports that confirmed he suffered from epilepsy fits and we called him back from the West Indies. When I met him I told him it was a serious problem and he needed to take a break and get proper treatment. But he was not willing to accept this. He was mentally not there,” Sethi told a TV Channel as quoted by India Today.

“Anyway I stopped him from playing for two months but later on we sent the medical reports to the selectors and left it to them because I didn’t like to interfere in their work,” added Sethi.

Epilepsy is a central nervous system (neurological) disorder in which brain activity becomes abnormal. Moreover, it also leads to seizures and stints of unusual behaviour. Sethi also stated that Umar put himself above the team and he also suffered from disciplinary issues.

“…but he refuses to accept discipline and he is an individualistic player prone to play with instinct. He plays for himself, not for his team. He is outside all discipline.”

A three-year ban is a major roadblock in the career of any professional cricketer and Sethi opined that Umar’s suspension would eventually lead to the end of his career.

“I am afraid his career is threatened and it appears to me to be the end of the line for him. Umar has always been someone outside all discipline and this three-year ban was going to happen,” he said.