Akmal dropped by Pakistan amid alleged discipline breach

REUTERS – Umar Akmal has been dropped from the Pakistan Twenty20 squad to face England as he is under investigation for bringing the sport into disrepute in an off-field incident, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reported on Thursday.

Akmal, the flamboyant 25-year-old middle-order batsman, was not included in the 16-man squad announced on Thursday for the three T20 internationals later this month following reports about his alleged behaviour at a dance party in Hyderabad.

A statement on the PCB’s website read: “Umar Akmal was in contention for a place in the T20 squad, but he was not considered following the board issuing him a show cause notice after the press reports revealed that he had brought PCB and Pakistan Cricket into disrepute.”

The chief selector Haroon Rashid added: “Umar Akmal had been pencilled in for selection but he has subsequently been dropped on instructions from the board.” The batsman will be given the chance to respond during an enquiry into the episode.

Meanwhile, Iftikhar Ahmed has been drafted in to Pakistan’s one-day international squad to fill the vacancy left by the veteran Younus Khan, who caused surprise by announcing his retirement on Wednesday.

The second ODI takes place in Abu Dhabi on Friday, Pakistan having won the opener on Wednesday by six wickets.

The T20 series begins on Nov. 26 at the Dubai International Stadium.

Pakistan’s T20 squad: Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Riffat Ullah Mohmand, Shoaib Malik, Sohaib Maqsood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfraz Ahmed, Anwar Ali, Imad Wasim (subject to fitness, otherwise Bilal Asif), Imran Khan Junior, Mohammad Irfan, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz, Amir Yamin

(Writing by Ian Chadband, editing by Pritha Sarkar)