Irfan banned for one year

KARACHI: Pakistan suspended fast bowler Mohammad Irfan for one year and fined him $10,000 after he admitted failing to report approaches by bookmakers linked to spot-fixing, cricket authorities said on Wednesday.

The 34-year-old said he had not spoken out at the time because he was under mental stress following the death of his parents. “I accept my mistake,” he told a press conference at the Pakistan Cricket Board’s headquarters in Lahore. “I was asked to carry out fixes but I did not commit any such crime. My mistake was not reporting the offers.

“I confess and say sorry to the fans,” he added.

Mohammad Azam, head of the PCB’s anti-corruption unit, said the player’s admission meant he was not required to appear before a tribunal which is set to hear the cases of four other players linked to the scandal.

Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Latif, Shahzaib Hasan and Nasir Jamshed have all been ensnared in the saga which took place around the Pakistan Super League held earlier this month.

Azam added that Irfan could be eligible to return from his suspension six months early if he took part in lectures on the importance of anti-corruption laws.

Irfan made headlines for his extraordinary height — seven feet and one inch or 216 centimetres — when he made his international debut in 2010 and stands as the tallest-ever player to feature in world cricket.

He has so far played four Tests and 20 T20 internationals, but has achieved most success in his 60 ODIs, in which he has taken 83 wickets at an average of 30.71. —AFP

Our correspondent adds:

Irfan’s central contract has been suspended for six months, said a PCB spokesperson. During the six months, PCB will ensure that the cricketer does not violate anti-corruption guidelines, said the spokesperson.

Moreover, he will be required to give lectures to other players on importance of anti-corruption laws and will not be offered any new contract by PCB during this time.

The bowler had submitted his reply to board’s Anti-Corruption Unit earlier in the day.

Sources said that the PCB came to an agreement with Irfan regarding the sanctions against him in the spot-fixing scandal.

The decision will be reviewed after a period of six months at which point the contract may be restored.

Earlier this month, Irfan appeared before the board’s Anti-Corruption Unit, where he admitted in his video statement that he had been contacted by bookies during the tournament but had not reported the approach to the PCB, as he had been under mental duress due to the recent death of his father.

Shaharyar Khan, Chairman PCB and Najam Sethi, Chairman PSL, said: “It is important for all players to take note and be reminded of their responsibilities and obligations under the PCB Anti-Corruption Code and that no form of corrupt activity shall ever be tolerated by PCB.”