Renowned Pakistani cricketer, Umar Akmal, opened up about the financial and emotional hardships he faced during his ban from cricket-related activities in the past.
In an interview, Umar Akmal recounted the struggles of not being able to afford the school fees for his daughter, which resulted in her missing school for eight months.
Addressing the disciplinary case and ban from cricket, he refrained from blaming anyone, choosing instead to focus on the challenges faced during that period.
The middle-order batter shared that many friends abandoned him during the hard times, but he was grateful for the support of his brothers and a few loyal friends.
Akmal emotionally recalled the toll the ban took on his family, revealing that he had invested the earnings of his life in fighting the case with the Pakistan Cricket Board.
The 33-year-old batter also expressed gratitude to his wife, the daughter of the late cricketer, Abdul Qadir, for her unwavering support during that difficult period.
Regarding match-fixing allegations, Akmal stated that he had been approached multiple times but always reported the incidents to the PCB and ICC for investigation.
The controversies around Umar began when he supported his elder brother, Kamran Akmal, by feigning an injury to protest the removal of the wicketkeeper from the team.
Akmal was banned from all cricket activities by the cricket board back in 2020, but his sentence was later reduced to allow him to resume cricket at the domestic level in 2021.
Source: Pro Pakistani