LAHORE: Pakistan cricket team left for their New Zealand tour late Saturday night to play a series of three T-20s and three One-Day-Internationals (ODI).
The team’s departure was hit by a one-match ban on batsman Umar Akmal for violating the dress code in a domestic match earlier this week.
According to team manager Intikhab Alam, Umar would not be available for the first of three Twenty20 matches in Auckland on January 15. He said the Pakistan Cricket Board had banned Umar for violating dress code during the final of the Quaid-e-Azam trophy.
The 23-year-old, playing for the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited, was found to have committed a level one offence by sporting two logos instead of the allowed one on his kit.
PCB match referee Anwar Khan warned Umar but he did not remove the extra logo after which the latter slapped him with a one-match ban. He was also warned in two earlier matches in the Trophy.
Umar is part of the Twenty20 squad only. He was not selected for the three-match one-day series against New Zealand which follows the Twenty20s.
The first T-20 will be played at Auckland from January 15 while first One Day International on 25th of this month in Wellington.
