Pakistan bans another cricketer Khalid Latif over spot-fixing

By APD writer Muhammad Sohail

ISLAMABAD, Sept.

20 (APD) -- An anti-corruption tribunal of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) banned another international cricketer Khalid Latif for five years and fined him one million rupees (9,490 US dollars s) over spot-fixing charges, officials said on Wednesday.

Khalid Latif

Latif is the second player who was banned by the PCB during last one month after his teammate Sharjeel Khan for their role in the spot-fixing scandal which rocked the Pakistan Super League earlier this year in the United Arab Emirates.

Pakistan Cricket Board tribunal handed over the punishment to a batsman who was charged with six major breaches of the PCB anti-corruption code and was found guilty of all of them.

“It’s another sad day as another player's cricketing career has been ruined due to his involvement in the spot-fixing which bought the bad name for the country", said PCB lawyer Tafazul Rizvi.

Khalid has been banned for five years with effect from Feb. 10, 2017, for playing all types of cricket which means the end of 31-year old player's career as the bans will end in 2022.

The official said that the punishment given to the batsman is minimum level and it is common practice to award maximum level of punishment if someone is proven guilty on all counts.

All sanctions imposed shall run concurrently and the fine imposed will be payable to the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Since the start of this year, the PCB has suspended six cricketers from all forms of cricket and banned four of them.

During the Pakistan Super League being held in the United Arab Emirates in February this year, Pakistan’s two players Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif were sent back to Pakistan after they were reportedly caught red-handed for meeting with a bookie.

According to some reports, each of the two players has done a deal with an international syndicate to play according to an instruction from bookies for 20 thousand U.S. dollars in each match.

Under the PCB code, the banned player can appeal rulings before an independent arbitrator within 14 days of the decision.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)