Lahore: Pakistan Test batsman Umar Akmal today submitted his reply to the show cause notice issued to him by the Pakistan Cricket Board after an altercation with national team’s head coach, Mickey Arthur. Umar apparently in his reply has described Arthur’s behavior as “intolerable” which had forced him to go public with his grievances. The PCB issued the show cause to Umar after he went to media last week following an altercation with Arthur at the national cricket academy.
The board has charged him with violating his terms of contract by going to the media without prior permission and making serious allegations against a team official. Umar has accused Arthur of using abusive language against him during the altercation which occured in the presence of chief selector, Inzamam-ul-Haq and national academy coach, Mushtaq Ahmed.
Umar told the media today that he had no alternative but to make his grievances public after the way he was treated. “I have been facing problems for the last three to four years and I hope that the PCB investigates the matter properly and my point of view is also heard,” he said, adding that he would accept the PCB decision.
Arthur had denied using abusive language against Umar, who last played in a Test for Pakistan in 2011 and in a one- day international in Australia in January. Since then Arthur claims Umar has failed several fitness tests and it was after he failed a fitness test in England that he was sent back home from the Champions Trophy.
Umar claims the fitness tests in England were a dummy to oust him as he had been cleared by the selectors before joining the team in England for the Champions Trophy.
Pakistan’s former head coach, Waqar Younis who was succeeded by Arthur last year in June has also made it clear that Umar had “issues” which he needed to sort out.
“I had told the PCB he has issues and he has attitude problems. He is lacking in cricket discipline. At times I felt sorry for him because he was wasting his talent and career,” Waqar said on Geo Super channel.
Waqar said the latest incident involving Umar could spell the end for him if he didn’t seek help and drastically worked on his “issues”.
“He will also have to work exceptionally hard and perform extraordinarily in domestic cricket to get back into the team now. I don’t understand what he is trying to do with himself.”
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