Umar Akmal has had his initial three-year suspension from representative cricket reduced to 18 months on appeal. 

The Pakistan batsman was handed the ban in April after two alleged breaches of the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) anti-corruption code. 

Having initially not contested the verdict, he filed an official appeal in May, with former Supreme Court judge Justice Faqir Muhammad Khokhar appointed as an independent adjudicator. 

Akmal attended the hearing in Lahore in person as his ban was cut, meaning it will run until August 2021, though the 30-year-old has suggested he will possibly look to have it reduced further. 

"I am thankful to the judge for listening to my lawyers properly," Akmal said after the hearing, as reported by ESPNcricinfo. 

"I will decide about the remaining sentence and try to get it reduced further. For now, I am not satisfied and will consult my lawyers and family how to take this ahead. 

"There are many players before me who made mistakes and just look at what they got and what I got. So all I say right now is thank you very much." 

Akmal has played 121 ODIs and 84 Twenty20 Internationals, also featuring in 16 Tests between 2009 and 2011.