Amir And Kamran Akmal File Lawsuit Against Australian Cricket Leagues: Unraveling The Legal Battle

Mohammad Amir and Kamran Akmal played in the Australian Cricket League (ACL) in Melbourne in December 2022. ACL is a Twenty20 cricket league where the teams comprise cricketers from local migrant communities. 

The ACL also sees participation from international cricketing stars like Akmal and Amir. The famous Sri Lankan cricketer Lasith Malinga took part in ACL as well. However, Kamran Akmal and Mohammad Amir took legal action against one of the sponsors due to certain unforeseen circumstances. 

So, what had happened exactly? Give this blog a read to find out. 

Why Did Kamran Akmal and Amir File a Lawsuit Against ACL? 

Tazwin Sports is a cricket gear manufacturer which is based on the western outskirts of Melbourne. It’s one of the sponsors of the Australian Cricket League against whom Akmal and Amir have taken legal action. 

The main issue which gave rise to this legal dispute was the fact that Tazwin Sports made unauthorized usage of photographs of the Pakistani cricketers for promotional content on their official website. Tazwin Sports had edited the photographs to show Akmal and Amir holding cricket bats manufactured by the company. Furthermore, the company captioned these photographs as “PROUD TAZ WINNERS’. 

Another issue that had crept up was that Tazwin Sports had removed the name of an ACL sponsor, Exclusive Migration from the jerseys of the Pakistani cricketers. 

Both Kamran Akmal and Mohammad Amir requested Tazwin Sports to remove the images from their official website. When the company didn’t pay any heed to these requests, their lawyers sent formal letters asking the company to remove the images. It was to no avail. The images remained on their website and the conflict escalated. 

How Did Tazwin Sports React? 

The argument provided by Tazwin Sports was that the agreement between the cricketers and ACL made it possible to use their photographs on their website. They further claimed to have had an oral agreement with the organizers of ACL for using the photographs of cricketers. 

According to Kamran Akmal and Mohammad Amir, the sponsorship agreement they had with Tazwin Sports required paying the cricketers $3000. It also stated that Tazwin Sports would provide them with three bats which the company didn’t fulfil. 

Akmal and Amir firmly believe that the authorized usage of their photographs indicates a professional association with Tazwin Sports which is false and baseless. They fear that they will lose sponsorship opportunities. Their reputation might be damaged as well. 

Kamran Akmal has stated that he has lost an annual deal worth $28,000 with another Australian brand. Moreover, he has also lost a deal worth $7000 in sports equipment. 

Mohammad Amir has said that he has lost an attractive offer of 3 years from a different company which entailed an annual payment of $30,000 along with sports equipment worth $5000. 

Considering these factors, Kamran Akmal and Mohammed Amir were left with no choice but to file a court case against Tazwin Sports. The Pakistani international cricketers have accused the company of engaging in misleading conduct under Australian conduct. 

The main motive behind filing a lawsuit is to seek damages from Tazwin Sports and to prevent them from using their photographs further. 

Key Takaway 

Kamran Akmal and Mohammed Amir are famous cricketers who play for their country Pakistan, in international tournaments. A few months back, they participated in the Australian Cricket League which is backed by numerous sponsors. Tazwin Sports is one of the sponsors. 

Akmal and Amir have accused the company of using their images in an unauthorised way and have filed a lawsuit against Tazwin Sports. 

The hearing for this case started on August 7, 2023. Journalists and fans of these cricketers across the world are tracking the ongoing case minutely. While the third edition of ACL will be held in December, it is yet to be confirmed whether Kamran Akmal and Mohammed Amir will participate in it or not.