A former Supreme Court judge has been appointed to hear Umar Akmal’s appeal as the Quetta Gladiators man looks to resurrect his career following a three-year ban.

“Former Supreme Court judge Mr Justice (retd) Faqir Muhammad Khokhar has been appointed as an independent adjudicator to hear Umar Akmal’s appeal against the three-year ban for breaching the PCB Anti-Corruption Code in two separate incidents,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a press release.

The board added that the date of the appeal’s hearing is yet to be decided. “The independent adjudicator will now decide on the date of the appeal hearing. As soon as this is confirmed, the PCB will make the announcement.”

Umar Akmal was provisionally suspended just hours before the start of this year’s Pakistan Super League before being suspended for three years after the right-hander decided to not counter the charges levied on him.

The extent of the ban was seen as harsh by some, including Umar’s brother Kamran Akmal and former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar, both of whom criticised the PCB for their lack of consistency when dealing with such cases.