Pakistan opener Sharjeel Khan handed five-year ban over spot-fixing scandal
Wednesday 30 August 2017 11:27, UK
Pakistan opener Sharjeel Khan has been banned for five years - two-and-a-half suspended - over a spot-fixing scandal affecting the Pakistan Super League.
The 28-year-old left-hander was provisionally suspended along with fellow opener Khalid Latif in February for violating the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) anti-corruption code.
The charges centered on a match between Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi in Dubai in February.
Off four deliveries, Islamabad's Sharjeel scored a single, failed to score off two deliveries and was then out.
Sharjeel's team-mate Latif, who did not play in the game, was alleged to have orchestrated the deal. Both were also charged for not reporting the matter to the PCB's anti-corruption unit.
"Sharjeel is banned for five years, which has two-and-a-half years suspended, after the proceedings of the case," said Asghar Haider, who headed the three-member tribunal.
"We investigated all the charges and found them correct."
The minimum punishment for the charges was five years with a maximum of a life ban.
Under the PCB code players can appeal rulings before an independent arbitrator within 14 days of the decision.
Four other players - Mohammad Irfan, Shahzaib Hasan, Nasir Jamshed and Mohammad Nawaz - were also included in the investigation on multiple charges.
The tribunal is expected to rule on Khalid Latif's case next month.
Sharjeel has played 25 ODIs and 15 international T20 matches for his country, with his only Test appearance coming in the 220-run defeat to Australia in Sydney in January.
