After his involvement in the 2017 spot-fixing scandal in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Khalid Latif has been handed a 5-year ban by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). He was a part of the Islamabad United squad in the PSL and his punishment will debar him from taking part in any format of the game.
Along with the ban, a fine of 1 million rupees has also been imposed on him as he was found guilty of breaching PCB’s Anti-corruption code. The Anti-Corruption Tribunal of the PCB hearing the case found him guilty of the all the charges laid on him.
A few days ago, the Tribunal had imposed a similar ban on the left-handed batsman Sharjeel Khan who was found guilty in the spot-fixing scandal. He was a teammate of Latif for the Islamabad United in the PSL and was arrested after the opening game of season two.
Khalid Latif had opted to boycott the Tribunal in May as he was denied the 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,” Latif’s 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 had added.
Latif would now be left with an option to appeal before the judge within 14 days from the day he receives the judgment. The way Alam had reacted earlier to PCB’s proceedings against Latif, it is almost certain that he would not accept the verdict and would go forward to question it.
PCB made conscious efforts to eradicate the dark clouds of fixing from the country. Whether or not Latif’s ban remains imposed, for now, the right-hander would have to stay away from the game.
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