Daily Times

LAHORE: Suspended Pakistan opener Khalid Latif and his lawyer on Saturday boycotted the proceedings of a spot fixing hearing after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) anti-corruption tribunal refused to give them a copy of Khalid’s recorded interview. The 31-year-old batsman stands accused of attempting to spot-fix, accepting an offer by a bookmaker which he did not report, and luring other players into the conspiracy. His case is currently being heard by the three-member tribunal convened to adjudicate on the scandal which emerged during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in the United Arab Emirates in February and March.

Latif’s lawyer Badre Alam told media that he had rejected the tribunal because it refused to give his client a copy of his interview, recorded by the PCB anti-corruption tribunal in February. “We have asked for the recording of Khalid’s interview which is our right but the tribunal has rejected it,” Alam 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.” Alam said they had already objected to the constitution of the tribunal and it’s their legal right to raise our concern if it’s against natural justice.

“I am disappointed that the whole proceedings are undertaken like jirga (informal council) and not according to the rule of law. The evidence is merely based on presumption as they are ignoring Khalid’s statements, in which he kept on saying that he wants to get rid of these bookies. They are manipulating statements and want to make them as what they want to present. We do not expect justice from them and request the PCB to form a disciplinary committee to take up our objections before we return.” The second day of hearings began at 11am at the National Cricket Academy but Latif and his lawyer left after two hours in protest. The tribunal continued to hear the PCB’s arguments and the hearing went on until 4pm.

A PCB lawyer said tribunal could proceed even without Latif’s presence. “If a player or participant is not appearing before tribunal, from the start or from the middle, then the tribunal has complete right to listen the remaining case as per the law and give the decision,” he added. The PCB said the video interview was conducted by its anti-corruption unit on February 19 and contained a confessional statement from Latif. The main charges for Latif are luring other players to participate in the fixing and not reporting the offers. Fast bowler Mohammad Irfan was banned for six months and spinner Mohammad Nawaz for two months and both were fined after they confessed to failing to report meetings with bookmakers.

Latif and three other players – Sharjeel Khan, Shahzaib Hasan and Nasir Jamshed – are also provisionally suspended on various charges and face bans ranging from five years to life if found guilty. The PCB on Friday said it had seized bat grips given to Latif by a bookmaker which the Islamabad United opener was allegedly supposed to use to indicate he would participate in a spot-fix.