Umar Akmal not to challenge PCB's show cause notice

Karachi, March 31: Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal has decided against challenging the show cause notice issued to him by the Pakistan Cricket Board in which the governing body accused him of breaching the Anti-Corruption Code.

A source close to the batsman said he had submitted his reply to the show cause notice issued to him earlier this month and he had not challenged the charges against him.

"Umar has not challenged the charges and admitted that he made a mistake in not following the adopted procedure in such cases," the source said.

The PCB Anti-Corruption officials had charged Umar with in two separate cases of not reporting an approach made to him to spot fix matches in the Pakistan Super League 5.

Umar, who was provisionally suspended on Feb 20 and barred from playing in the Pakistan Super League for his franchise Quetta Gladiators, has been charged for breaching Article 2.4.4 of PCB's Anti-Corruption Code.

"The code pertains to failing to disclose to the PCB Vigilance and Security Department (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitation received by the Participant to engage in Corrupt Conduct under the Anti-Corruption Code." The Pakistan board had given Umar until March 31 to respond.

According to the Anti-Corruption Code Article 6.2, the range of permissible period of ineligibility for those charged and found guilty for a violation of Article 2.4.4 is a minimum of six months and a maximum of a lifetime.

Umar, 29, has had a chequered career since making his debut in August, 2009 and has since just managed to play 16 Tests, 121 ODIs and 84 T20 internationals despite making a century on Test debut. His last appearance came in last October during a home T20 series against Sri Lanka.

Umar who has a penchant for getting into trouble with the establishment was reprimanded and cleared in February just before the PSL for allegedly misbehaving with a trainer during a fitness test in Lahore.