PCB summons Umar Akmal over fixing approach claim
Lahore, June 25 : The Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) has summoned Umar Akmal on Wednesday after the batsman claimed in a TV interview that he was approached to fix matches, especially the contest against arch-rivals India in the 2015 ICC World Cup.
Akmal even went on to claim that he got spot-fixing offers every single time Pakistan played India, which has majorly been in ICC tournaments or the Asia Cup.
Besides the matches against India, Akmal revealed that he was also approached to fix matches in the Hong Kong Super Sixes, Pakistan's series against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates.
Akmal reportedly said he was made the offer in the 2015 ICC World Cup in Australia and New Zealand -- a tournament in which Pakistan went till the quarterfinal stage.
Pakistan and India were in Group B and played their only contest at the Adelaide Oval where India maintained their unbeaten run against Pakistan in World Cup history, winning by 76 runs.
Akmal faced a mere four balls and fell for a duck to left-arm orthodox Ravindra Jadeja.
"I had got an offer during the World Cup to leave two balls alone and they were willing to pay me $200,000 for that," Akmal said in the interview with Samaa TV.
"It was our first match against India in the 2015 World Cup... in fact, every match I play against India, they offer me money to make some excuse and opt out of the game. But I have told those people that I am very sincere about playing for Pakistan and to not talk to me on this topic ever again," he added.
Akmal's claims invited quick action with the PCB asking the 28-year-old to explain his comments.
"Notice served to Umar Akmal. He has been asked to appear before PCB Anti Corruption Unit (ACU) on June 27," a tweet from the PCB's handle read.
Meanwhile, the International Cricket Council (ICC) also sprung into action, saying that it wished to speak with the cricketer urgently.
"The ICC is aware of a recent interview given by Umar Akmal. Whilst we note that there is no suggestion that any 'fix' actually took place, the ICC is reliant on players to report any corrupt approaches in a timely manner," the ICC said in a statement.
"This is critical to our efforts to gather information on potential ‘fixers' and to disrupt and prevent their efforts to corrupt the game. As such we are taking Akmal's comments very seriously.
"We have launched an investigation and wish to speak to Akmal as a matter of urgency. Our Anti-Corruption Unit is committed to working to uphold integrity in cricket and would urge anyone with any information to contact us via contactacu@icc-cricket.com," the ICC statement added.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Crowd management efforts ramped up at Maha Kumbh after stampede
Mahakumbh Nagar (PTI): A day after a stampede at the Maha Kumbh left 30 dead, the Uttar Pradesh government ramped up efforts to ensure crowd management and safety of devotees who continued to flock here in large numbers for the religious gathering.
The devotees braved the pre-dawn chill and dense fog to take a dip in the Sangam and at other ghats here on Thursday.
More than 55.11 lakh devotees had taken the holy dip till 8:00 am, according to the Uttar Pradesh government.
Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Anshuman Mishra told PTI that the area would remain a no-vehicle zone until the crowd disperses completely.
"Vehicle passes will not be valid until all devotees have safely left for their destinations. No outside vehicles would be allowed to enter the city until the crowd exits the Mela area," he said.
However, senior officials may grant permission for vehicle entry based on the situation, he said.
Mishra clarified that essential services such as police administration vehicles, ambulances and suction machines would be allowed entry as they are crucial for the smooth management of the Maha Kumbh.
Pilgrims, including women and children, were seen walking to and fro the various ghats amid reduced visibility. Many had thin blankets covering their bodies while some stopped by bonfires along the routes to keep themselves warm.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh and Director General of Police Prashant Kumar are scheduled to reach here later in the day for a detailed probe into the stampede.
The top officers would also conduct a thorough review of the arrangements in the Mela area, Chief Minister Adityanath said on Wednesday night.
"Every aspect related to security and public convenience must be carefully examined to ensure seamless arrangements for Basant Panchami (Feb 3 - Amrit Snan)," he said.
In a bid to further strengthen the arrangements, the Uttar Pradesh government will also be deploying two former senior officers on Mela duty -- Ashish Goyal, who served as divisional commissioner of Prayagraj for the 2019 Kumbh, and Bhanu Goswami, former vice chairman of the Agra Development Authority.
Additionally, five special secretary-level officers are being assigned to oversee operations. All of them will remain in Prayagraj till February 12 to assist in streamlining the arrangements, Adityanath said.
Besides 30 deaths, 60 people were injured in the pre-dawn stampede on Wednesday in the Sangam area of the Maha Kumbh as millions of pilgrims jostled for space to take a holy dip on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya, one of the most auspicious days of the Hindu calendar.
Maha Kumbh DIG Vaibhav Krishna said the incident took place due to crowd pressure. The crowd broke barricades and jumped to the other side, crushing those waiting there, he said.
On Wednesday, more than 7.64 crore devotees had a 'snan' at the Maha Kumbh, the highest in a single day so far. The footfall since the beginning of the mega event had crossed 27.58 crore by the end of Wednesday, according to the Uttar Pradesh government.
The Maha Kumbh kicked off on January 13 and will continue till February 26.
