‘If guilty, you can shout as much as you want’, Kamran pleads to public as Umar Akmal admits meeting bookie

• Pakistani cricketer Umar Akmal has admitted meeting a bookie.
• PCB’s anti-corruption unit provided stern evidence against Akmal.
• Kamran Akmal, thus, opened up regarding the same and came to his brother’s defence.

As the whole nation has dived into celebrations on hosting the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2020 edition entirely in Pakistan, the national cricket board has been dealt with a major blow on Saturday (February 22). Umar Akmal, once regarded as a highly-talented youngster, made the headlines again after being suspended for breaching the code of conduct by the PCB. 

This time around, the controversy regarding the wicketkeeper-batsman was much bigger as he admitted meeting a bookie and was in touch with him for four days before the matter came into the notice of PCB chairman Ehsan Mani on the eve of PSL 2020.

Apart from Mani, PCB CEO Wasim Khan and owner of Quetta Gladiators – Nadeem Omar – was also a part of the meeting where Akmal admitted to the charges of being in contact with a bookie and opened up about the phone calls. In addition, the anti-corruption unit of PCB has confiscated his mobile phone.

Thus, the whole news came as a shocker to the Pakistan cricketing fraternity and the Akmal family. Kamran Akmal, the elder brother of Umar, however, quickly came to the defence of his younger brother and pleaded to the public to not go overboard by slamming Umar as he is yet to be proven guilty regarding the same. 

He stated, “I am saddened by the reporting regarding Umar Akmal – please wait for the investigation. If he is guilty then you can shout as much you want about it and we will accept it,” the 38-year-old was quoted as saying by pakpassion.net.

Umar Akmal’s career has become a talking point for all the wrong reasons in the recent past. He was last seen in the Pakistan line-up when they were whitewashed at home in three T20Is versus a second-stringed Sri Lanka in October 2019.

With more controversy surrounding him with each passing day, it looks highly possible that he may be in for a long snub from the PCB. Strict action is expected to be levelled upon him regarding the recent charges.