Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Latif sent back home; PCB takes steps to shield
T20 league from gambling mafia
Pakistan cricket’s worst nightmare came true on Friday when the country’s T20 league — the HBL Pakistan Super League — was hit by a corruption scandal that has resulted in the suspension of two key Pakistani players.
Star Pakistan opener Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif — both representing defending champions Islamabad United — were provisionally suspended and sent back home from Dubai. The duo were suspended under Pakistan Cricket Board’s Anti-Corruption Code as part of an ongoing investigation into an international syndicate which is believed to be attempting to corrupt the PSL.
Najam Sethi, the PSL chairman, promised that rigorous and wide-ranging investigation by the PCB supported by the ICC will continue as part of collective efforts to protect the integrity of the sport.
“It would not be appropriate to comment on the specifics of the case, however this investigation is a clear demonstration of our determination to drive corruption out of our sport. We will not tolerate any form of corrupt activity and as this investigation proceeds we will not hesitate to take further decisive action as appropriate,” Sethi said.
“The investigation of the PCB Anti-Corruption Unit backed by the ICC ACU has been effective in dealing with this case to date and we will continue to work in the closest collaboration as the investigation proceeds. We are all absolutely committed to relentlessly pursuing anyone who would seek to damage the integrity of our sport.”
The suspension of the two United players is bad news for PSL which was celebrating the return of its second edition with an impressive opening ceremony less than 24 hours earlier.
But the worse news is that it could just be the tip of the iceberg.
Well-placed sources told ‘The News’ that PCB’s anti-corruption officials as well representatives of ICC’s anti-corruption unit are working on leads which suggest that there could be more offenders.
“An international match-fixing syndicate has been trying to lure several PSL players,” the source said. “Sharjeel and Khalid were caught red-handed while there are fears that some other players could also be involved,” he added.
Another source said that both Sharjeel and Khalid were in the radar of the anti-corruption watchdogs since their arrival in Dubai because of their association with a person who is believed to be part of a gambling syndicate.
The two players were caught meeting the person after United’s game against Zalmi that finished in the early hours of Friday.
At a time when the corruption scandal is threatening to rock both PSL and Pakistan cricket, Shaharyar Khan, the PCB chairman, reiterated his Board’s commitment to fight corruption.
“I must remind all players of their responsibilities in the fight against corruption. They must understand that if they even think they may have been the subject of a suspicious approach, it is their obligation under the PCB Anti-Corruption Code to report it to an appropriate anti-corruption official as a matter of urgency.
“Under no circumstances will the PCB condone actions of a few individuals to bring disrepute to the game of cricket or taint the image of Pakistan.”
The fact that both Sharjeel and Khalid, who played important roles in United’s title-winning triumph in the inaugural PSL last year, were two of the team’s key players has left the franchise quite shaken.
A top team official said that United will try to replace the suspended duo soon.
“We are understandably disappointed at this development but emphasize on our commitment to a zero-tolerance policy towards any violations of the rules or stated guidelines,” the official said.
“We will be looking to find replacements for the squad as soon as possible,” he added.
Sharjeel fell cheaply in the opening game of PSL 2 on Thursday night even as United beat Peshawar Zalmi by seven wickets. Khalid was not part of the playing eleven.
The duo performed well for United last year, scoring in excess of 200. While Sharjeel finished as the third-highest run-scorer overall, with 299 runs in 11 matches, Latif struck 206 runs. The pair then made their returns to the Pakistan side during the 2016 Asia Cup and the World T20 respectively.