KARACHI-Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Najmal Sethi has made a starking claim, saying Umar Akmal – who was banned for three years earlier this week for a match-fixing matter – suffers from epilepsy and requires treatment.
“We had medical reports that confirmed he suffered from epilepsy fits and we called him back from the West Indies. When I met him I told him it was a serious problem and he needed to take a break and get proper treatment. But he was not willing to accept this. He was mentally not there,” Sethi told a TV Channel as quoted by PTI.
“Anyway I stopped him from playing for two months but later on we sent the medical reports to the selectors and left it to them because I didn’t like to interfere in their work.” Epilepsy is a central nervous system (neurological) disorder in which brain activity becomes abnormal, causing seizures or periods of unusual behaviour, sensations, and sometimes loss of awareness,” he added.
Sethi further claimed that Umar always put his personal values above the team and that was what made him a relatively unsuccessful cricketer despite being supremely talented. “…but he refuses to accept discipline and he is an individualistic player prone to play with instinct. He plays for himself, not for his team. He is outside all discipline.”