PCB confiscated bat grips from Khalid Latif's kit bag

Pakistani cricketer Khalid Latif who played for the Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is accused of indulging in corrupt practices. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confiscated his bat grips on Friday. The bat grips were given to Latif by a bookie, to indicate that the match is fixed. As per the allegations, the batsman did not only accept an illegal offer but also tried to involve other players along with him.

Three other players alongside Latif, – Sharjeel Khan, Shahzaib Hasan and Nasir Jamshed have been suspended by the PCB. They might face 5-year bans. In the worst scenario, they may even be banned for lifetime. Khalid was not in the playing XI of United’s first game against Peshawar Zalmi. The match was played in Dubai on 9th of February. Latif allegedly lured Sharjeel Khan into match-fixing and gave him the grip to indicate fixing to the bookies. Khan played two dot balls, as promised to the bookies.

PCB’s take

“One (piece) of evidence is that we seized the bat grips that (a) bookie had given and they were seized from Khalid’s kit bag,” PCB’s lawyer Taffazul Rizvi told the media. He further added, “Khalid had met the bookmaker twice but failed to report the meeting.” Fast bowler Mohammad Irfan and spinner Mohammad Nawaz have already been banned temporarily from cricket when they admitted their indulgence with the bookies.

The head of International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Anti-Corruption and Safety Unit (ACSU) Sir Ronnie Flanagan said that Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) provided the initial tip-off about fixing attempts in the Pakistan Super League. Latif’s case is examined by a three-member tribunal. But his lawyer Babar Alam questioned the sanctity of the tribunal. Reportedly, one member of the tribunal is a former member of the PCB.

Earlier, the Birmingham-based Pakistani batsman recorded a video and uploaded on the micro-blogging site Twitter. In the video, he said PCB was making biased decisions and challenged the officials to release the evidence they have against him in front of the media.