Akmal violates ICC dress code, banned from 1st T20 against NZ

Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal will miss the first Twenty20 against New Zealand on January 15 after being slapped with a one-match ban for violating the ICC's dress code during a domestic game here.

Pakistan coach Waqar Younis told PTI that the ban was imposed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after Umar violated the code during the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final here last week while playing for Sui Northern Gas. "Apparently match referee Anwar Khan had warned him twice for wearing two logos instead of one in the match and he didn't pay heed," Waqar said.

Pakistan team manager Intikhab Alam said Umar had committed a level one offence of the ICC rules governing dress codes and that the one-match ban applied on both international and domestic matches. “It basically means that Umar is banned for his next match which happens to be the T20 in New Zealand,” he said.