PCB forms inquiry committee to probe Umar Akmal’s fitness controversy

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to form an inquiry committee after a complaint regarding Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal’s inappropriate behaviour was filed by the coaching staff at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore.

According to sources, when the foreign trainer wanted to measure Umar Akmal’s body fat, the 29-year-old took off all his clothes angrily and questioned the trainer “Do you see any fat in my body”?

The committee comprises of three members, Director of Domestic cricket Haroon Rasheed, Doctor Sohail Saleem and a representative from PCB legal team.

Akmal appeared before the inquiry committee on Tuesday and explained his actions. He has been ordered by the committee to appear again on Wednesday.

The committee will also probe trainer Yasir Mehmood and video analyst Sajid Hashmi regarding the aforementioned matter.

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This is not the first time that Akmal has been involved in such an act of indiscipline. Last year, the right-hander had recieved an official reprimand and a fine of 20 per cent of his match fee for a late night-out ahead of fifth ODI against Australia in Dubai.

Umar pleaded guilty to the charge, apologised for his actions and accepted the sanction proposed by team manager Talat Ali.

During an exclusive interview with Cricket Pakistan, towards the end of 2019, Akmal had insisted that he was a changed man and claimed that fans would see a new Umar Akmal when they witness him on and off the field in the future.

“I have changed myself a lot. My family has a big role to play in this. I have not appeared in headlines or social media for the past three to four years. I am trying to focus on my training and cricket now. That is why my focus has shifted from other irrelevant things,” said Akmal. “You can say that you will see a new Umar Akmal the next time my fans see me. I am trying very hard to curtail my off field activities. I plan on giving more time to my cricket and training.”