Leave NCA and play club cricket, Umar calls out coach's 'misbehaviour'
'Big names' were present in the room on August 15 when the head coach humiliated him, says Akmal
LAHORE (Dunya News) – Umar Akmal who was dropped of the Champions Trophy 2017 squad owing to fitness issues, has claimed on Wednesday that head coach Mickey Arthur unfairly chastised him and asked him to leave the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in a confrontation yesterday, branding him undeserving.
Akmal addressed a press conference in Model Town and leveled allegations against the head coach of misbehaviour and usage of foul language.
He said that he wishes to approach the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) against the coaching staff which according to him unfairly dropped him of Chmapions Trophy 2017 squad. He claimed that he was dropped for reasons other than fitness, that he is not sure of.
Umar Akmal said that if a player is dropped out of series for whatever reasons, it does not warrant for the coach or any staffer to humiliate him when he is making efforts to better his game.
He requested the PCB chief to take notice of the incident and keep a check on the coaching staff, primarily the head coach.
Akmal also complained that ‘some big names’ were present in the room on August 15 when the incident unfolded and he is disturbed that none of them spoke out in his defense.
He denied knowing how Arthur behaves with other cricketers.
South African cricketer Mickey Arthur is employed by the cricket board as the head coach of the team under whose command the national eleven led by skipper Sarfraz brought home Pakistan’s maiden Champions Trophy earlier this year.
Earlier in May, chief selector and former batsman Inzamamul Haq reported on Akmal s fitness. Umar Akmal could not maintain his fitness after Pakistan Cup, and that is why he was being sent back from England, he had said.
During the press conference, Akmal also asserted that he was working on his fitness in England since then to make a comeback to the palying eleven.
On the other hand, Arthur has denied the allegations asserting that he did not misbehave with the player however, he admitted to having censured the cricketer for questionable discipline and poor fitness.
