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Mark Wallace has announced his retirement from first-class cricket after an 18-year career with Glamorgan to join the Professional Cricketers’ Association’s team of personal development and welfare managers

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Feb-2017Mark Wallace has announced his retirement from first-class cricket after an 18-year career with Glamorgan to join the Professional Cricketers’ Association’s team of personal development and welfare managers.Wallace will still be involved with Glamorgan. His new role will involve helping his former team mates, as well as players at Gloucestershire and Somerset, to help improve their performance on the field through minimising potential distractions off it and also to assist them in preparing them for a life after cricket.He takes over the role of his former Glamorgan colleague Ian Thomas who was recently appointed the PCA’s Head of Development and Welfare.”I’ve been extremely fortunate to have been able to represent Glamorgan for so long,” said Wallace. “While I walk away with a heavy heart I’m delighted to be able to start the next chapter of my life with the PCA.””I will be going back into Glamorgan in a different role and that will probably feel strange because nothing replaces playing. I’ve had my last day’s training and now I’m an ex-cricketer, so it is an odd feeling. But I know the PCA very well. Being Chairman for four years has given me a real insight into the organisation and given me some real enthusiasm and drive to want to help players.”The most successful wicket-keeper batsman in Glamorgan’s history, in 2011 Mark Wallace became the first gloveman for the Welsh county to amass over 1,000 first-class runs in a season.Born in Abergavenny, Wallace made his Glamorgan debut in 1999 against Somerset at Taunton, and at 17 years and 287 days old he duly became the club’s youngest wicketkeeper in a Championship match.

A round-up of all the Group D matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy on December 16, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Dec-2015Cheteshwar Pujara top-scored for Saurashtra, but couldn’t prevent his side from going down for the second time in four matches. Uttar Pradesh, riding on a combined effort by their India internationals, won by five wickets at the Madhavrao Scindia ground in Rajkot to put themselves in a good position to secure a berth in the quarter-finals.Saurashtra, who were sent in to bat, were tottering right at 7 for 3, with Praveen Kumar removing the openers. Bhuvneshwar Kumar then chipped in with the scalp of Aarpit Vasavada (39) to expose the lower order by the halfway mark. That they managed to post 189 was courtesy the tail – the last four wickets added 90, with Kamlesh Makwana, who made 35 not out, leading the rearguard action. While the seamers did the damage upfront, Piyush Chawla, the legspinner, also reaped the rewards, finishing with 3 for 53 off 10 overs.UP lost their openers with only 33 on the board, putting the onus on Suresh Raina to steer them clear of danger. When he fell for 18, Saurashtra were in with a sniff, but their hopes were extinguished by Shubham Chaubey, the debutant, who piloted the chase with an unbeaten 85. His 82-run stand for the fourth wicket with Eklavya Dwivedi (38) took UP to the doorstep of victory. Akshdeep Nath then polished off the chase with an unbeaten 28 as UP won with 32 balls to spare.Himachal Pradesh climbed to the top of the Group D table after cruising to a seven-wicket win over Goa.Goa were given a steady start by openers Sagun Kamat (57) and Swapnil Asnodkar (37) after they were put in. The pair added an opening stand of 62 after which Kamat combined with Keenan Vaz to add 46 for the second wicket. Kamat’s dismissal in the 33rd over triggered a batting collapse as Himachal’s bowlers, led by pacer Pankaj Jaiswal, bowled out Goa for 184 in 45.4 overs; Goa lost their last seven wickets for only 45 runs. Jaiswal had returns of 3 for 26 in 7.4 overs, while Bipul Sharma, Rahul Singh and Nikhil Gangta claimed two wickets apiece.Prashant Chopra drove most of Himachal’s chase with a brisk 67, that included nine fours and two sixes. Himachal wobbled after a solid opening stand as Shadab Jakati picked up three quick wickets. Paras Dogra and Dhawan then steered Himachal to the target with an unbeaten partnership of 61 for the fourth wicket.

Amrit Mathur, Delhi Daredevils’ consultant and former India team manager, said that it was impractical for franchises to form a formal body to educate and monitor players in the IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff17-May-2013Amrit Mathur, Delhi Daredevils’ consultant and former India team manager, said that it was impractical for franchises to form a formal body to educate and monitor players in the IPL. In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Mathur said that the concept of a formal body to control activities like spot-fixing would not be feasible as the franchises had control over players only during the tournament. Moreover, he said that incidents like these could not be completely eradicated but, with appropriate systems, could be controlled and reduced.”There’s no provision at the moment for a formal body. At the same time, there is a practical body in the sense that the teams have the players contracted with them for only 45 days,” Mathur said. “Beyond those 45 days, there is no relationship between the franchise and player. So if it’s the 46th day, and a team has to go to its captain, it’s on request mode. If we’re with a player only for 45 days, there’s nothing we can do beyond that. The players are busy, they have no relationship with you, so what kind of programmes or education or anything can you do? It doesn’t work.”Mathur also said there was very little administrators could do in the spot-fixing situation, but advised that systems governing cricket could always be strengthened. “I don’t think the IPL or the BCCI could have done anything more once it was revealed such a thing happened. The IPL or the BCCI doesn’t have the tools or the ability to monitor or police this beyond a point. So, they have to go by what the investigations throw up in terms of evidence or offence of the individual is concerned.”The systems can be strengthened, there could be better monitoring and provisions to ensure such things don’t happen. It’s not that the IPL is not aware of the importance of keeping the league and tournament corruption-free of informing and warning the players of an act of this nature. Before the season, the anti-corruption unit meets each team separately, it’s a pretty serious exercise.”Mathur also stated that there was now a greater understanding of the problem of match-fixing because such incidents had occurred in India, on the county circuit in England and in Test cricket. “I think there is an understanding across the boards, across the countries, across the ICC, across the member nations that this is a serious issue. It will throw up wrong things from time to time and you have to be vigilant, you have to educate, you have to monitor. And at the same time, after all this, if somebody is caught doing it, there has to be some punishment.”Mathur stressed on the importance of a law in India that could enforce stricter punishments for spot-fixing and other related crimes.”That punishment, in England came through the court of law, not through the ECB. Similarly there has to be some procedure through which it comes to court of law in India,” Mathur said. “Apparently, earlier, there was some uncertainty about which provisions of the law does such an act attract. Ultimately, we were informed yesterday that it is under conspiracy and cheating, which do not attract very serious punishments.  So maybe down the line there could be a special legislation which enforces stricter punishments for spot-fixing or any crime of this nature.”In response to a question on how franchises perceived the threat of spot-fixing, Mathur admitted that while vigilance wasn’t as stringent in the first year, franchises began understanding that controversies like these would affect their business.”I think in year one it was just a mad scramble to get things rolling,” Mathur said. “But very soon the understanding reached everybody that: a) it is sport, you can’t have sport sallied by something like this and b) it’s a commercial venture, you invest huge amounts of money into the team, into the franchise and you’re building a business. And the last thing a business wants is a controversy of this kind. It holds the foundation of a business of any kind, let alone a cricket team or a sporting tournament. So even before the ICC’s anti-corruption unit became a part of the IPL, I know many teams were telling their players the need to be clean, the need to be fair, the need to not do anything that would tarnish the brand.”

Fast bowler Pat Cummins has been named in the Australia squad for the one-day matches against Ireland and England scheduled for June this year

ESPNcricinfo staff10-May-2012Fast bowler Pat Cummins has been named in the Australia squad for the one-day matches against Ireland and England scheduled for June this year. Allrounder Steven Smith and quick Mitchell Johnson have also made a return.Cummins had been sidelined by a bone stress injury in his foot since Australia’s tour to South Africa in October-November 2011. He then missed the series against New Zealand, India and West Indies, and made a return to competitive cricket for Australia Under-19s in a quadrangular series in April. Johnson too has been out of action with an injured foot – he had done severe damage to his ligaments after being struck on the foot while batting in the Wanderers Test last November, resulting in a condition commonly referred to as ‘turf toe’.Smith, who had also last played for Australia during that tour to South Africa, is being rewarded for the fine form he showed late in the domestic season, according to national selector John Inverarity.”He [Smith] has come into strong contention for the Australian ICC World Twenty20 squad to be named in August and the national selection panel is keen to have him in the set-up in England as the reserve batsman, noting that his legspinners would provide good variation to our attack,” Inverarity said. “He [Johnson], also, is in strong contention for the ICC World Twenty20 and needs to be in the set-up and have some quality competitive cricket leading into this.

Australia’s 15-man squad

Michael Clarke (capt), Shane Watson, George Bailey, Pat Cummins, Xavier Doherty, Ben Hilfenhaus, Michael Hussey, David Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Clint McKay, James Pattinson, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade (wk), David Warner
In: Pat Cummins, Mitchell Johnson, Steven Smith
Out: Daniel Christian, Peter Forrest, Nathan Lyon, Peter Nevill

“We are also excited about the return of Pat Cummins and we are looking to ease him back into the team. He will not be expected to play in all of the eight scheduled games.” Australia are scheduled to play one one-dayer against Ireland, followed by five against England, interspersed with two tour games.The players to miss out from the squad that played the limited-overs games in the West Indies are Daniel Christian, Peter Forrest, Nathan Lyon and Peter Nevill. Mitchell Starc, who featured in the Commonwealth Bank Series against India and Sri Lanka, also missed out. However, Inverarity said, Christian remained in the mix for the World Twenty20.”Dan Christian has shown what a useful allrounder he is, and is making some strong contributions. He has been omitted to make way for Mitchell Johnson, but remains very much in our plans for the ICC World Twenty20, and a distinct possibility for the ODIs and Twenty20s against Pakistan in August-September.”Nathan Lyon and Peter Nevill have not been included as Xavier Doherty has been preferred as the only spinner and Matthew Wade is the only keeper. It is a great deal easier getting replacements to England than to the West Indies, and both Nathan and Peter will be on standby should they be required.”

A round-up of the second day of the sixth round of the Regional Four-Day Competition

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Mar-2011England Lions took a first-innings lead of 65 over Windward Islands, thanks to an allround performance from their bowlers, all of whom picked up at least one wicket. Windward wrapped up the England Lions innings for the addition of just 22 runs in the morning to restrict them to 302 at Windsor Park in Roseau, but they lost a clutch of early wickets and were struggling at 82 for 4. Kevin James and Dalton Polius then added 79 to steady the innings, before Adil Rashid and Danny Briggs combined to extract the rest of the side for 237. Briggs was the best of the bowlers, with 3 for 51, while Rashid and Andy Carter picked up two wickets each. At close of play, England Lions had extended their lead to 85 for the loss of Craig Kieswetter for 9.Kyle Corbin narrowly missed out on a hundred but Combined Campuses and Colleges were dismissed for 251 by Guyana at Three Ws Oval in Bridgetown. CC&C lost both openers without scoring but Corbin, who has one hundred and four half-centuries to his credit this season, came to the rescue. He made 96, from 134 balls, studded with 10 fours and four sixes. He now has 495 runs in the tournament, trailing only Marlon Samuels in the run-scoring charts. Kevin McClean chipped in with an unbeaten 52 down the order, but the rest of the batting failed to fire. Assad Fudadin took 4 for 42 and Veerasammy Permaul 3 for 58 for Guyana, who were 11 for 1 at stumps.Wavell Hinds and West Indies Test vice-captain Brendan Nash enabled Jamaica to recover after a top-order collapse against Trinidad & Tobago at Sabina Park in Kingston. Hinds came in with his team tottering at 60 for 4 – Marlon Samuels (25) made a rare low score this season – and proceeded to stroke an unbeaten 131, sharing in a 116-run stand for the fifth wicket with Nash, who made 66, and then an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 121 with allrounder Dave Bernard, who was unbeaten on 55 at the close. Hinds was particularly aggressive, smashing 11 fours and seven sixes, to take his team to a position of relative strength at 297 for 5.Fidel Edwards picked up his second five-for of the season as Barbados bowled Leeward Islands out for 277 at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound. Edwards took two early wickets as Leeward slipped to 17 for 3 but the two twenty-year olds, Sherwin Peters and Jahmar Hamilton, kept their composure to add 138 runs together. Hamilton, who made 83, hammered 14 fours, while Peters struck seven fours in his four-hour 57. Gavin Stoute, who took 4 for 41, caught Peters off his own bowling, and triggered a slide that saw six wickets tumble for 40 runs to leave Leeward gasping at 195 for 9. However, Anthony Martin (42) and Kelbert Walters (28) combined in an 82-run last wicket partnership to frustrate Barbados until Edwards had Walters caught behind to wrap up the innings and finish with 5 for 57.

Dirk Nannes has always felt comfortable in India and is a definite starter in the IPL tournament beginning on Friday

Cricinfo staff07-Mar-2010Dirk Nannes has always felt comfortable in India and is a definite starter in the IPL tournament beginning on Friday. Nannes left Melbourne on Saturday to join Delhi Daredevils and was confident the security and safety problems would not be an issue during the event.”I have always felt pretty good in India,” Nannes said in the Sunday Herald Sun. “Security can be a bit of perception. If you feel safe, then you probably are safe. But the reality may be completely different.”I wasn’t comfortable in coming to a decision myself, but, luckily, the Australian Cricketers’ Association has done a lot of investigating and has been pushing to make it a lot safer for us. They think if things keep progressing the way they are, then things will be fine from next week and the start of the tournament.”Nannes has retired from first-class action to prolong his career in the shorter formats, which includes representing Australia in Twenty20s. He has played five T20s for Australia and his left-arm fast, which can top 155kph, is a daunting prospect for batsmen as they chase boundaries.”My body simply cannot handle playing first-class cricket,” he said. “Even if I made myself available, there was no chance of me playing the last few [Sheffield Shield] games.”I have a back issue. It’s fine for playing the shorter forms, but if I was asked to bowl 17 overs one day I couldn’t back up and bowl again the next day.” After the IPL Nannes is hoping to be part of Australia’s World Twenty20 campaign, having played in last year’s tournament for the Netherlands.

Lawrence, Burns, Smith, Clark half-centuries extend lead past 400 at The Oval

ECB Reporters Network18-May-2024Leaders Surrey are in a strong position to claim their fourth win of the season in the Vitality County Championship after dominating the second day against Worcestershire at the Kia Oval.Dan Worrall wrapped up Worcestershire’s first innings by claiming the last three wickets in five balls to finish with 6 for 22 as Surrey took a lead of 85.Skipper Rory Burns laid the foundations with 70 at the start of Surrey’s second innings and although Worcestershire fought back after lunch with four wickets in eight overs, Jamie Smith and Dan Lawrence, who was dropped on four, reasserted Surrey’s control with a fifth-wicket stand of 115 in 29 overs.Smith made 72 before Lawrence and Jordan Clark added further punishment with an unbroken sixth-wicket alliance of 108 as Surrey closed on 342 for 5, a lead of 427.Worrall now has 22 wickets in four games – with power to add in the second innings – after ending Worcestershire’s first innings during a high-class spell at the start of the day from the Vauxhall end.In his fourth over and having bowled a series of inswingers at Joe Leach, he moved one away and Ben Foakes dived in front of first slip to take the edge. Ben Gibbon lost his off bail when the next ball nipped back and although Yadvinder Singh survived the hat-trick he drove airily at his second delivery and Foakes snaffled his 300th first-class catch for Surrey.All out for 128, Worcestershire were up against it, but their seamers bowled with good control with the new ball and Burns and Sibley took no risks and settled for patient accumulation.Sibley’s first six runs came off 50 balls before he doubled his score by hoisting Gibbon off his pads and over the mid-wicket boundary. The partnership was worth 79 from 29 overs when Sibley nicked a fine ball from Singh on a fourth-stump line that left him off the pitch.In the next over Ollie Pope was superbly caught by the diving Nathan Smith at leg slip to reward Gibbon’s wholehearted endeavours and, having claimed his maiden first-class wicket, debutant Singh took his second in his fourth over when Burns, having passed 50 for the fourth time this season, nicked off and was well held low down at slip by Rob Jones.Surrey slipped to 115 for 4 in the 38th over after Foakes missed a straight one from Matthew Waite, but Waite was left shaking his head in frustration when Lawrence was put down on the mid-wicket boundary by Kashif Ali having made just three. It felt like a defining moment in the day and so it proved as the sun came out and Lawrence and Jamie Smith built the lead after tea in the best batting conditions of the match.Smith, playing with increasing freedom, hit 12 fours in a typically enterprising 72 from 109 balls before losing his off stump to Gibbon via an inside edge as he shaped to drive through the covers.Lawrence followed him to fifty – his second of the match – in the next over and the situation was perfect for Clark to go on the attack. He raced to his half-century off 42 balls, including a six over long-off off Ali, as the lead swelled beyond 400 with 160 runs added in the final session. Both will have their eyes on a century in the morning.

He has made a mark in T20s in leagues around the world but does not possess first-class experience yet

Firdose Moonda16-Jan-2023Hard-hitting opener batter Dewald Brevis can expect a David Warner-like transition to international cricket as South Africa look to deepen their player pool under a new coaching structure.Former under-19 coach Shukri Conrad, who was in charge of the age-group team at the 2022 World Cup, where Brevis was the top-scorer, and former Central Stags coach Rob Walter, were announced as South Africa’s new red and white-ball coaches respectively and both are keen to fast-track young talent with Brevis top of mind. He has become the most-talked-about batter in South Africa, more so when he struck 162 runs off 57 balls in a domestic T20 match in October, a week before the national men’s side failed to chase 159 in a must-win T20 World Cup match against Netherlands and calls for his immediate promotion grew. Enoch Nkwe, South Africa’s Director Cricket, has heard them and has a plan to get Brevis into the senior set-up soon.Related

• How Brevis became baby AB: batter talks after hitting 162 off 57 in a T20 game

• Dewald Brevis becomes the youngest South African to score a century in men's T20s

• Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, Donovan Ferreira among players who could light up SA20

“There’s a lot of noise around Brevis. We know how good he is. He has shown it in SA20, he has played some good cricket and he has been pretty consistent in T20 cricket,” Nkwe said. “In terms of youngsters, the reality moving forward, we might have to do a David-Warner type of approach where there is going to be the transition phase from under-19 cricket into professional cricket through T20 and then ODI and then Test cricket. That’s something we foresee happening in the future.”Warner, who played his 100th Test against South Africa at the MCG, had just 20 domestic white-ball caps to his name before making his international debut in a T20I against South Africa and played in only 11 first-class matches before his Test debut. Brevis already has more experience than that in shorter formats. He has played in 37 T20s including at the IPL, CPL and SA20, and six List A matches but has yet to play a first-class match. As part of a strong Titans’ squad, who are third in the four-day domestic competition, and boasts names like Test captain Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Theunis de Bruyn, and Heinrich Klaasen, it has been difficult for Brevis to get a look-in but playing him in longer formats is top of Nkwe’s mind.”We understand someone like Brevis has a lot of cricket to play and now we have to see how we get him to that longer format? We know that he can offer a lot to South African cricket,” Nkwe said.Asked specifically whether Conrad and Walter have been involved in discussions about Brevis, Nkwe would not be drawn into anything more than reiterating their commitment to development. “Both coaches are big believers in looking after the younger generation but also not just throwing them in the deep end,” he said. “It’s about having a very clear detailed plan of every individual who has been identified and how they are going to form part of the Proteas set-up.”Ultimately, the decision of whether Brevis plays for South Africa will not lie with Conrad and Walter alone. Selection convener Victor Mpitsang and Patrick Moroney are the other two people involved in picking players and, though the coaching set-up has changed, both are contracted until the end of the year. They will be in charge of naming the group of players who will take on England in three World Cup Super League ODIs later this month. Given Brevis’ form – he struck an unbeaten 70 off 41 balls in the SA20 opener and 42 off 34 balls in the third game – he could be a wildcard pick for what are crucial matches for South Africa. They need to win at least one of the ODIs to remain in contention for automatic qualification for this year’s 50-over World Cup and with Nkwe saying the T20 and ODI formats are “close to each other,” it may be time for Brevis to graduate to the big time.The squad is expected to be announced later this week but Walter will not be in charge of it just yet. The new coaches begin work next month and an interim appointment will be made for the England series.

South Africa captain says lack of match awareness and match fitness also played a role coming into the series

Firdose Moonda30-Dec-20212:29

Cullinan: SA ‘not following the basic principles of Test cricket’

Lack of runs in their first innings rather than leaking runs in India’s first cost South Africa the opening Test against India, according to captain Dean Elgar. After conceding 272 for 3 on the first day, thanks largely to a wayward morning with the ball, South Africa went on to take 7 for 49 on the third to bowl India out for 327. They were then dismissed for 197, where Elgar said the match was lost.”You need runs to compete and it’s safe to say we didn’t get that in our first innings,” Elgar said. “They bowled well with the new ball and the nature of Test cricket is that you’ve got to compete against the new ball. The way they started was something we struggled against. We know what it’s like scoring 250-plus runs here.”Just last year, South Africa piled on 621 runs on this ground, albeit against an under-strength Sri Lankan attack, and in four of their last five Tests here, they scored over 250 in the first innings. That they went on to win all those matches makes clear the importance of first innings runs, but for that you need a strong and somewhat reliable line-up, which can only be achieved with regular competitive game time against quality opposition.South Africa have only played six Tests this year, the last one six months ago. There have only been four rounds of domestic first-class cricket and of this squad only Duanne Olivier and Keegan Petersen played in all four.There is an obvious lack of match time, which both vice-captain Temba Bavuma and Elgar recognise as a weakness.”Playing four or five-day cricket is something you can’t replace but the schedule doesn’t allow for our players to play a lot of first-class cricket,” Elgar said. “So there’s a little bit of (a lack of) match awareness and match fitness. It’s by no means an excuse. We knew that coming into the series. There’s a lot of learning for us that the basics of the game still applies. I don’t think we had that with regards to the batting.”You may immediately ask why Petersen, the only one who played in this Test who has sufficient match practice to his name, was not more successful but there’s a reason for that too. South Africa’s opening stand has been particularly poor and has not crossed double figures in the three Tests Petersen has played.”KP has come in and played in three Tests matches and the three batting conditions that he has experienced have been relatively tough,” Elgar said. “He has had a bit of a rough start and it doesn’t reflect on him as a player. He is an extremely talented player – one of our better players in the first-class system. The stats don’t reflect his ability. I feel for him. I know he wants to make a play and is maybe a little bit anxious. We need to, as a leadership group, try and give him a better opportunity to try and contribute.”Dean Elgar: “In Test cricket facing the new ball and opening is not easy”•AFP via Getty Images

In order for that to happen, Elgar and Aiden Markram have to start better, which they know but can’t guarantee. “In Test cricket facing the new ball and opening is not easy. You get a good ball and you go and sit and watch the rest of the game. That’s the nature of the beast,” Elgar said. “Aiden and I have had the rough of the green but we are very mindful that we need to start well.”Another option is to swap Petersen with the (slightly more) experienced Rassie van der Dussen. “It is something that will be a conversation,” Elgar said.So will changes to the lower order. Olivier should be available for selection and should be an automatic pick at the Wanderers. Ordinarily, that would mean leaving out his replacement Marco Jansen. But the 21-year-old acquitted himself so well in his first Test that the discussion will turn to whether Wiaan Mulder, playing as an allrounder but not really contributing with the bat, should be benched to give Jansen the chance to stake a claim in that position.”Wiaan had a pretty good game with the ball. He is not living up to his standards with the bat which is something we will chat to him about,” Elgar said. “In this environment you have to have those open conversations in order for this environment to grow and for individuals to grow. Marco had a brilliant debut. He was our player of the game. And he came into a really tough situation. He didn’t shy away from his responsibilities within the side.”And Elgar is not hiding from his – as captain of a team that has to turn the corner soon and is feeling more and more sure that they can in three days’ time. “I don’t think we’ll lack any confidence heading into Johannesburg but it’s never nice losing a game especially when we know where we went wrong,” Elgar said. “It’s difficult to correct those wrongs during a game, but building into the second Test, we’ll have some time to reflect around what has happened.”

This comes after the PCB challenged the ban’s reduction from its original three-year term

Umar Farooq20-Aug-2020The legal battle between Umar Akmal and the PCB took another turn after the Pakistan batsman filed an appeal in the Court of Arbitration for Sports in Lausanne to overturn his ban, which was halved from its original three-year term last month. Akmal’s move came after the PCB had challenged the ban’s reduction in the Court of Arbitration for Sports earlier this month.Akmal had been banned from all representative cricket in April this year after he failed to report details of corrupt approaches made to him ahead of this year’s PSL. He did accept then that the incidents which formed the basis of the two charges pressed against him by the PCB had taken place, but said the circumstances were such that they did not merit reporting. On July 29, the overall sanction was reduced to 18 months by an independent adjudicator, retired Supreme Court judge, Faqir Mohammad Khokhar.ALSO READ: Umar Akmal given harsh penalty because of lack of remorseHowever, after the verdict on the reduction, Akmal’s lawyer argued that the sanction be overturned due to lack of evidence against the player. “We have a wide range of grievances on the decision by the arbitrator and we have reached out to the arbitration court in a motion to set aside the judgement,” Khawaja Umaiz, the lawyer representing Akmal, told ESPNcricinfo. “They don’t have a single piece of evidence that can prove any wrongdoing. The prosecution was based on a phone call, otherwise there is no document, no bank transaction or anything that can substantiate their claim.”The PCB’s decision to appeal against the reduction is understood to be based on its attempt to stress on its zero-tolerance policy against corrupt practices concerning players.Salman Naseer, the PCB chief operating officer, said during a video press conference: “When judgement was reviewed, there were findings in which the judge wrote that the case against Umar Akmal is proven to the hilt. He also said that the statements of the cricketer are self-contradictory and, therefore, not credible.”As far as the verdict goes, the independent adjudicator also wrote that he was looking at the case on compassionate grounds and gave his decision. To us the main question was whether the punishment be reduced on compassionate grounds at all. We also felt that the punishment for the two charges 18 months each should run cumulatively and not concurrently which the independent adjudicator eventually decided on.”In May, Akmal had filed an official appeal against the ban, challenging the length of the sanction and hoping to get it reduced. In similar cases in the past, Mohammad Irfan sat out for six months, while in 2017, Mohammad Nawaz was given a two-month ban. In recent examples outside Pakistan, Shakib Al Hasan – among the senior-most players in the game – was banned for two years with one year of that sentence suspended.Akmal’s case began in March, after he decided against contesting the two PCB charges, foregoing the right to plead innocence. The case was then directed to the chairman of the PCB’s independent disciplinary panel, who after hearing both Akmal and the PCB, handed him the three-year ban. The judge, Justice (retd) Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan, had observed that Akmal had failed to give any plausible explanation for not reporting the matter to the PCB’s vigilance and anti-corruption departments and was in breach of article 2.4.4. He was deemed to have engaged in corrupt conduct under the anti-corruption code of the PCB. He had attended that hearing without a lawyer, presenting his case himself.