Pakistan’s Anti-Corruption Unit Calls Akmal for Full Disclosure

Spot-fixing rears its head as Umar Akmal, out of the national team, makes shocking claims of opportunities he had.

Umar Akmal’s controversial career continues when he was called by the PCB to explain spot-fixing approaches made to him

(Photo: Reuters)

Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal has been served a showcause notice by the country's cricket board for failing to report a corrupt approach before the 2015 World Cup match against arch-rivals India.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)'s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) has asked the cricketer to appear before the tribunal on 27 June.

The notice was served after the enigmatic batsman, who is currently out of favour with the national selectors and national team management, spoke about several instances where he was approached to spot-fix matches, under-perform or sit out.

In an interview to the Samaa news channel, Akmal, 28, said he despised fixing and could never even think about letting his country down.

Akmal, who has been the subject of numerous controversies and disciplinary issues since making his Pakistan debut in 2009 talked in detail about the approaches.

He disclosed how the Pakistan team's liaison officer in the Hong Kong Sixes had approached him at 3 am in the morning in his hotel room a day before the tournament started.

He told me he wanted five minutes. He came in and he told me how much money I could make and it can be transferred to any account I want wherever. He talked about giving me silver and gold gifts.

Umar Akmal, Pakistani cricketer

“He said all I must do is under-perform in the tournament. I got very angry and told him to get lost or the situation will get worse,” Akmal recalled.

Akmal said he had gone immediately and told his elder brother, Kamran about what had happened.

“I didn't want to play in the tournament but Kami calmed me down and I remember he called up the PCB Chairman (Ejaz Butt) and chief selector and they spoke to me and told me to play as they had faith and trust in me and they will not suspect me if I failed to perform." Akmal said next day he played and went on to become 'Man of the Tournament' in the Hong Kong sixes.

Umar’s elder brother Kamran Akmal has also had a long and successful career as ‘keeper of Pakistan national team(Photo: Reuters)

Akmal, who has been out of the Pakistan team since last year, after being sent back home from England before the Champions Trophy after failing a fitness test also claimed a bookmaker had called him up and offered him around USD 150,000 to 200,000 for leaving two balls at a particular time in the 2015 World Cup game against India at Adelaide.

He also recalled another approach made to him to sit out of a match against South Africa in Dubai. “I told him to shut up.” Akmal said many times before a match against India in his career, he got calls to work with bookmakers for big sums of money but every time he said he didn't believe in such things and reported the matter.

“Whenever I have got these calls in which offers are made to me I have reported them to the management or security officials. Whenever and everywhere I think I have helped in getting these people who make such calls get caught or identified. I ask such people from where they have got my number.”

Akmal to a question said he had also received threats from such callers but he didn’t bother about them and went on with his life.

A reliable source in the PCB said that Umar had been called to appear before the ACU to clarify his position since Pakistan players were not supposed to speak publicly on sensitive issues without first getting clearance from the board.

“Secondly the ACU and PCB is aware of some approaches mentioned by Umar but unaware of others.” Last year the PCB banned Pakistani players, Muhammad Irfan, Muhammad Nawaz and Shahzaib Hasan for not reporting approaches made to them.