Nadeem Omar: “He [Umar Akmal] is one of the finest middle-order batsmen in Pakistan and it was a major loss for our side when he was suspended hours before the start of PSL 5”

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Quetta Gladiators owner Nadeem Omar has claimed that Umar Akmal “is one of the finest middle-order batsmen in Pakistan”.

With that firm belief, Nadeem pointed out that Akmal being banned from this year’s Pakistan Super League (PSL) “damaged 30 percent [of the] strength of our team”.

Akmal was not allowed to take part in the tournament as he was found guilty of violating the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) anti-corruption code.

Akmal was recently charged with two breaches of the code and if he is found guilty, he could receive a six-month to lifetime ban.

“He [Umar Akmal] is one of the finest middle-order batsmen in Pakistan and it was a major loss for our side when he was suspended hours before the start of PSL 5,” Nadeem was quoted as saying by PakPassion. “I would say that it damaged 30 percent [of the] strength of our team.”

In this year’s PSL, which was held entirely in Pakistan for the first time ever, the Gladiators, who were the defending champions, failed to qualify for the semi-finals as they finished fifth on the points table with four wins, five losses and one match being abandoned.

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