PCB hands Khalid Latif five-year ban

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today announced the punishment for Pakistan batsman Khalid Latif. After his role in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2017 spot-fixing scandal was proved, he has been banned from all formats of the game for 5 years. The 31-year-old was a part of the Islamabad United squad in the PSL.

He was found guilty of breaching the PCB’s Anti-Corruption code. Along with the ban, Latif has also been imposed with a fine of 1 million rupees. The Anti-Corruption Tribunal of the PCB hearing the case charged him guilty in all the charges.

Earlier, the Tribunal had granted a similar fate to Sharjeel Khan another Pakistan cricketer found guilty in the PSL spot-fixing scandal. He was also a member of the Islamabad team in the tournament and was arrested by the sleuths after the opening game of season two.

Boycotted the hearing

Latif had in May boycotted the Tribunal since they denied him access to the taped interview which was an evidence again him. “We have asked for the recording of Khalid’s interview, which is our right, but they have rejected it,” his lawyer Badre Alam had said.

“Until that (interview is given) we will not continue the proceedings, we told them we are not running away but we are talking in legal terms,” he added.

This now leaves him with an option to appeal before the judge within 14 days from the date he receives the judgement. Taffazul Rizvi who was representing PCB in the case said that the board. While it is pretty evident from the way Alam objected against the Tribunal’s constitutional weight and cried foul of the body being hell-bent to pass a verdict against his client that they will appeal and not just accept the decision.