Battling charges of spot-fixing, Pakistan’s suspended batsman Khalid Latif could face more disciplinary action after he refused to appear before the Cricket Board’s Anti-Corruption Unit in Lahore.
“We don’t have confidence or trust in the Pakistan Cricket Board’s head of the vigilance and security department, Colonel (retd.) Muhammad Azam and that is why Khalid has decided against appearing before him for more questioning,” the player’s lawyer told the media in Lahore.
Khalid has been questioned by the PCB’s Anti-Corruption officials earlier and was summoned again for further interrogation. He has already appeared once before a three-member tribunal set up to investigate the spot-fixing scandal.
Khalid, who is facing charges of spot-fixing in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in February, had approached the Lahore High Court earlier this month challenging the authority of the PCB chairman to appoint the tribunal to hear the spot-fixing cases. The court dismissed his writ petition but Khalid’s lawyer said he plans to file an intra-court appeal against the PCB and the tribunal.
Another Pakistan batsman Shahzaib Hasan, who has also been suspended for breaching ACU clauses, is scheduled to appear on Thursday for further interrogation.
PCB’s legal advisor Tafazzul Rizvi made it clear that the board viewed Khalid’s objections as delaying tactics. Rizvi pointed out that Khalid had already appeared before the ACU officials and the tribunal, accepting their status. “If a player doesn’t appear before the vigilance and security officials after being officially summoned for questioning, then he can face more disciplinary charges,” Rizvi said.
The PCB has also suspended two other Pakistan batsmen, Sharjeel Khan and Nasir Jamshed, in the PSL spot-fixing case while handing down a 12-month ban on left-arm pacer Mohammad Irfan after he admitted to not reporting approaches from bookies.
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