Umar Akmal looks to Sharif family for support amid cricket setbacks

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan national team’s middle-order batsman Umar Akmal has said that after Allah, he places faith in the Sharif family.

Speaking on a local TV channel, Umar Akmal expressed his confidence in the Sharif family, stating, “Everyone has personal relationships; I am grateful to Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sahiba, who have always supported me.”

He complained that he has faced some issues in his life that have troubled him, and for quite some time, he has been denied the opportunity to play cricket.

Also read: Didn’t have money to buy daughter McDonald’s: Umar Akmal

He mentioned that the prominent figures in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) are having personal issues with him, and he has shown his performance and requested a chance.

He further added, “After Allah, I trust the Sharif family. Insha’Allah, if given the opportunity, I will perform well in international cricket.”

It is worth noting that Umar Akmal had visited London in August last year to meet former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, where, during media interactions, he had expressed that Nawaz Sharif’s return would bring improvements in cricket, and a request has been made which he hoped to be accepted soon.

It should be remembered that 34-year-old Umar Akmal last represented Pakistan in a match against Sri Lanka in 2019.

In April 2020, Umar Akmal was banned from participating in all representative cricket for a span of three years. This penalty was imposed after he was found guilty on two charges of separate breaches of Article 2.4.4 of the PCB Anti-Corruption Code in two unrelated incidents

Umar Akmal utilized his right to appeal, and on July 29, 2020, an Independent Adjudicator adjusted the sentence, reducing the period of ineligibility to 18 months. Subsequently, in February 2021, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) further decreased Umar Akmal’s 18-month ban by an additional six months with a fine of Rs4.25 million.