UMAR AKMAL REASSURES FANS AFTER SPECULATION THAT HE DIED IN PROTESTS

Social media has been in a frenzy with claims the Pakistan batsman had passed away

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Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal has had to publicly deny rumours of his death following mass speculation on social media.

The 27-year-old has made two public statements on Twitter over the past 24 hours - in written and video form - following the emergence of reports that he had been caught up in the violent protests which have broken out in his home country.

The dharna have already claimed the lives of at least six people, while several hundred have been injured after a previously little-known religious group took exception to the country's law minister Zahid Hamid amending the parliamentary declaration of allegiance.

Social media users had highlighted a picture of one of the purported victims of the ongoing trouble - which has broken out in Islamabad and Karachi - and claimed that it was Akmal.

However, the middle order batsman has stated that he is safe and well in Lahore.

Furthermore, Akmal stressed that he is set to be involved in Lahore Whites’ National T20 Cup semi-final clash with Faisalabad in Rawalpindi on Wednesday.

He wrote: “All news coming from social media is fake”.

The semi-finals of the National T20 Cup had been due to take place over the weekend but were postponed by the Pakistan Cricket Board due to the escalating tension across the country.

"Due to the prevailing situation, the PCB management has decided to postpone the semi-finals and final of the National T20 Cup and Super 8 rounds of the Quaid-e-Azam trophy for now," PCB's media manager Shakeel Khan said. "The management will announce new dates later."

They have since be rescheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, when Lahore Blues are due to take on Fata Region.

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