The dramatic and colourful life of Umar Akmal
There's never a dull moment if you're the youngest Akmal brother
Danyal Rasool
26-May-2017
Pakistan's enfant terrible Umar Akmal finds his career stalling once more after being charged by the PCB's anti-corruption unit. It isn't his first infraction, but if found guilty, the sanction may ensure they are his last. What makes Akmal's discipline problems stand out isn't just their sheer frequency, but the innovative ways he has devised to land himself in trouble. We look at the highs and lows of a volatile career that, presently, hangs in the balance.*
The arrival
August 2009: In just his third ODI, a 19-year old Umar scored an unbeaten 102 off 72 balls against Sri Lanka. It was an innings of such devastating hitting and brash self-confidence that it had experts and fans alike gushing about how far this boy could go. Eight years on, it remains his only ODI hundred against a Full Member. It's easy to forget he was compared to Virat Kohli at the time, who, despite being two years older than Umar, was yet to reach three figures in ODI cricket. In the subsequent eight years, Umar managed only one more hundred - against Afghanistan. Kohli has 27.
August 2009: In just his third ODI, a 19-year old Umar scored an unbeaten 102 off 72 balls against Sri Lanka. It was an innings of such devastating hitting and brash self-confidence that it had experts and fans alike gushing about how far this boy could go. Eight years on, it remains his only ODI hundred against a Full Member. It's easy to forget he was compared to Virat Kohli at the time, who, despite being two years older than Umar, was yet to reach three figures in ODI cricket. In the subsequent eight years, Umar managed only one more hundred - against Afghanistan. Kohli has 27.
A boy wonder?
November 2009: Umar announced himself to the world on Test debut in Dunedin, worlds removed - in more ways than one - from the dust bowls of Lahore. So green was the wicket at the start of the game, you would have been hard-pressed to differentiate it from the outfield. He scored 129 and 75 while only one other Pakistan batsman managed a half-century. Inzamam's heir? A younger Younis? An Akmal worth appreciating?
November 2009: Umar announced himself to the world on Test debut in Dunedin, worlds removed - in more ways than one - from the dust bowls of Lahore. So green was the wicket at the start of the game, you would have been hard-pressed to differentiate it from the outfield. He scored 129 and 75 while only one other Pakistan batsman managed a half-century. Inzamam's heir? A younger Younis? An Akmal worth appreciating?
Bros before selectors
April 2010: Umar's first foray into trouble. After Kamran Akmal's disastrous performance behind the stumps in Sydney, he was dropped for the following Test. Umar, still only five Tests old, was alleged to have feigned an injury in a bid to skip the third Test in protest at his brother being dropped. He eventually played, but was fined and placed on a six-month probation by the PCB.
April 2010: Umar's first foray into trouble. After Kamran Akmal's disastrous performance behind the stumps in Sydney, he was dropped for the following Test. Umar, still only five Tests old, was alleged to have feigned an injury in a bid to skip the third Test in protest at his brother being dropped. He eventually played, but was fined and placed on a six-month probation by the PCB.
A Test hiatus
September 2011: The last time Umar played a Test match for Pakistan. Having started so brightly in Dunedin, he ended up with a whimper in Bulawayo. Pakistan, who usually go to and fro on pretty much every selection call, have been strangely decisive about not giving Umar another shot at Test cricket. If it is to teach him a lesson, they might need a better teacher.
September 2011: The last time Umar played a Test match for Pakistan. Having started so brightly in Dunedin, he ended up with a whimper in Bulawayo. Pakistan, who usually go to and fro on pretty much every selection call, have been strangely decisive about not giving Umar another shot at Test cricket. If it is to teach him a lesson, they might need a better teacher.
The gloves are off
October 2012: During the World T20 semi-final against Sri Lanka, Umar called for a change of gloves, and no amount of dissuading from Rod Tucker and Simon Taufel would deter him. The match referee, Jeff Crowe, took a dim view, slapping a Level 2 charge on the then 22-year old and fining him half of his match fee.
October 2012: During the World T20 semi-final against Sri Lanka, Umar called for a change of gloves, and no amount of dissuading from Rod Tucker and Simon Taufel would deter him. The match referee, Jeff Crowe, took a dim view, slapping a Level 2 charge on the then 22-year old and fining him half of his match fee.
I'm unstoppable
February 2014: Living life in the fast lane sounds like fun. Being booked under Section 186, 279 and 353 of the Pakistan Penal Code not so much. But those were precisely the consequences Umar faced after being pulled over for rash driving. He didn't appreciate it, apparently assaulting a police officer and tearing his uniform. He was arrested and released on bail 12 hours later.
February 2014: Living life in the fast lane sounds like fun. Being booked under Section 186, 279 and 353 of the Pakistan Penal Code not so much. But those were precisely the consequences Umar faced after being pulled over for rash driving. He didn't appreciate it, apparently assaulting a police officer and tearing his uniform. He was arrested and released on bail 12 hours later.
A rude shock
April 2015: After a disappointing World Cup, Umar was left out of the tour to Bangladesh. It was a sobering reality check for the talented batsman, who, despite his Test absence, had been a regular feature in Pakistan's limited-overs sides, mainly due to occasional explosions of talent, not least for an electric 94 in a World T20 win against Australia the previous year. As sobering reality checks go, Pakistan received one themselves too, finding themselves consigned to a limited-overs mauling, with Bangladesh winning all three ODIs and the one-off T20I. Sitting out that series suddenly didn't seem so bad after all.
April 2015: After a disappointing World Cup, Umar was left out of the tour to Bangladesh. It was a sobering reality check for the talented batsman, who, despite his Test absence, had been a regular feature in Pakistan's limited-overs sides, mainly due to occasional explosions of talent, not least for an electric 94 in a World T20 win against Australia the previous year. As sobering reality checks go, Pakistan received one themselves too, finding themselves consigned to a limited-overs mauling, with Bangladesh winning all three ODIs and the one-off T20I. Sitting out that series suddenly didn't seem so bad after all.
Pooping the party
November 2015: Hyderabad isn't renowned as Pakistan's fun capital. Therefore, when you get an opportunity to enjoy yourself in that neck of the woods, you take it. That, at least, was Umar's philosophy when he attended a party while he was there playing against Hyderabad for Sui Gas Pipelines: not a glamour fixture even by the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy's slipping standards. He hadn't received permission from the PCB to go to the party, which, apparently, he required. The board responded with a level of deep symbolism no one knew it possessed, dropping the youngster and calling up 39-year old batsman Rafatullah Mohmand. After all, he's not so likely to prance off to many parties, is he?
November 2015: Hyderabad isn't renowned as Pakistan's fun capital. Therefore, when you get an opportunity to enjoy yourself in that neck of the woods, you take it. That, at least, was Umar's philosophy when he attended a party while he was there playing against Hyderabad for Sui Gas Pipelines: not a glamour fixture even by the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy's slipping standards. He hadn't received permission from the PCB to go to the party, which, apparently, he required. The board responded with a level of deep symbolism no one knew it possessed, dropping the youngster and calling up 39-year old batsman Rafatullah Mohmand. After all, he's not so likely to prance off to many parties, is he?
Forgo the logo
January 2016: Here's old Sui Gas again. It turned out Sui Gas players are allowed to wear one specific logo on their uniforms, but in a game against United Bank Limited, Umar was sporting a different one. The PCB, who was never likely to approve of Umar's fashion choices anyway, responded by banning him for a T20 match against New Zealand. If that sounds harsh, it was supposedly necessary because this was the third time Umar had "abused cricket equipment or clothing", as the PCB's code of conduct rather prudishly described it. But after Umar appealed, the ban was suspended and he did go on to play the T20.
January 2016: Here's old Sui Gas again. It turned out Sui Gas players are allowed to wear one specific logo on their uniforms, but in a game against United Bank Limited, Umar was sporting a different one. The PCB, who was never likely to approve of Umar's fashion choices anyway, responded by banning him for a T20 match against New Zealand. If that sounds harsh, it was supposedly necessary because this was the third time Umar had "abused cricket equipment or clothing", as the PCB's code of conduct rather prudishly described it. But after Umar appealed, the ban was suspended and he did go on to play the T20.
I demand an encore
April 2016: Umar, apparently, got himself involved in a brawl in a Faisalabad theatre. If you thought that sentence was random, wait for this one: the reason for his annoyance was the theatre's refusal to repeat a dance performance that he had requested. Umar responded by telling the media to judge him only on his performances on the field. Having scored 188 runs in his last nine innings, you wouldn't have thought it was his best move.
April 2016: Umar, apparently, got himself involved in a brawl in a Faisalabad theatre. If you thought that sentence was random, wait for this one: the reason for his annoyance was the theatre's refusal to repeat a dance performance that he had requested. Umar responded by telling the media to judge him only on his performances on the field. Having scored 188 runs in his last nine innings, you wouldn't have thought it was his best move.
A questioning spirit
May 2017: And finally, a classic he said/she said dispute. Umar, captain of the Punjab team during the Pakistan Cup, was asked about team changes at the toss. He launched into an explanation of why Junaid Khan wasn't playing, expressing "surprise" and "shock"; he might as well have been talking to his psychiatrist. Junaid Khan, apparently too ill to play, had strength enough to sit bolt upright in his hotel room, and send in a video clarification, saying he had a case of food poisoning that Umar had known about all along. The PCB appeared to be none the wiser, and just fined them both.
May 2017: And finally, a classic he said/she said dispute. Umar, captain of the Punjab team during the Pakistan Cup, was asked about team changes at the toss. He launched into an explanation of why Junaid Khan wasn't playing, expressing "surprise" and "shock"; he might as well have been talking to his psychiatrist. Junaid Khan, apparently too ill to play, had strength enough to sit bolt upright in his hotel room, and send in a video clarification, saying he had a case of food poisoning that Umar had known about all along. The PCB appeared to be none the wiser, and just fined them both.
Insult to injury
* August 2017: He had been sent home from the Champions Trophy squad in disgrace by Mickey Arthur for failing a fitness test, and a couple of months later, the Pakistan head coach would add insult to injury. Quite literally, according to Umar Akmal, who summoned a press conference in a haste that, had he perhaps displayed at the fitness test, would have seen him pass with flying colours. He complained bitterly about Arthur refusing Akmal permission to use the National Cricket Academy facilities to improve his fitness. You see, if Umar Akmal was passionate about one thing, it was improving his fitness.
* August 2017: He had been sent home from the Champions Trophy squad in disgrace by Mickey Arthur for failing a fitness test, and a couple of months later, the Pakistan head coach would add insult to injury. Quite literally, according to Umar Akmal, who summoned a press conference in a haste that, had he perhaps displayed at the fitness test, would have seen him pass with flying colours. He complained bitterly about Arthur refusing Akmal permission to use the National Cricket Academy facilities to improve his fitness. You see, if Umar Akmal was passionate about one thing, it was improving his fitness.
Most outrageously, according to Akmal, Arthur had used abusive language towards him in front of head coach Inzamam-ul-Haq, who had, rather cunningly, set Akmal up by telling him to speak to Arthur in the first place, and thus stitched him up rather ingeniously. But Arthur pointedly claimed the NCA was for international players with central contracts, which Akmal had just been stripped off weeks ago. He expected an apology from Arthur and asked Najam Sethi, then-PCB chairman, to "take notice" of the incident. Sethi took notice all right, with the PCB slapping Akmal with a show-cause notice and charging him with a breach of the PCB code.
The naked truth
February 2020: Arthur had long since gone, the NCA facilities were all open to Umar Akmal, and there were no reports of anyone swearing at him. So his fitness levels must have been off the charts, right? Well, you would think, and even if the test results told the NCA otherwise, so would Akmal himself, it appears. When given the news he had failed his fitness test, Akmal decided he'd go to any length to prove he had nothing to hide. Absolutely nothing. So he stripped off completely, and I mean completely, in front of a presumably bemused trainer, asking him, (one hopes rhetorically) "You say I've failed the skinfold test. Where is the fat?" He stormed off, but not before, ESPNcricinfo understands, he had put his pants back on. He knows where the line is, you see.
It appeared initially the PCB might come down, ahem, hard, on this kind of behaviour, but a few days later, they clarified no further action would be taken, putting it down to a gentle misunderstanding. There wasn't even a fine, which, had one been forthcoming, you would hope would go entirely to covering the trainer's therapist's bill.
Corruption charges
March 2020: Weeks after that slightly surreal incident, Akmal found himself in trouble on far more serious charges - enough to make nudity, swearing and being unfit appear decidedly trivial. On the eve of the PSL, the PCB announced he was provisionally suspended under Article 4.7.1 of its code, meaning he was being investigated by the PCB's Anti-Corruption Unit. There was no indication of the nature of his alleged actions, but four weeks after that, the PCB would formally charge him with two breaches of the anti-corruption code for two separate incidents.
It appeared weeks after disclosing far more than anyone at the NCA or the PCB cared to see, he was now in hot water for having "failed to disclose" corrupt approaches to the PCB's Vigilance and Security Department. A guilty verdict could result in a ban ranging from six months to life. Suddenly, Umar Akmal's controversial career doesn't seem a laughing matter anymore.
This copy was updated on March 20, 2020 at 2.45pm GMT with Akmal's later infractions added.
Danyal Rasool is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo. @Danny61000