Daily Times

LAHORE: Britain’s National Crime Agency provided the initial intelligence that helped uncover a major spot-fixing scandal in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), an official from world cricket’s governing body said on Thursday. Sir Ronnie Flanagan, head of the International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption and safety unit (ACSU), was speaking to reporters at Gaddafi Stadium here yesterday after testifying in a case against opening batsman Sharjeel Khan, who has been provisionally suspended by his board since the scandal erupted in February. Fast bowler Mohammad Irfan and spinner Mohammad Nawaz have already been banned for six months and two months, respectively after confessing to failing to report offers to fix matches. Sharjeel was charged for failing to report an offer to fix and for playing two ‘dot balls’ in exchange for money. Opening batsmen Khalid Latif, Shahzaib Hasan and Nasir Jamshed, who did not feature in the tournament, have been charged with more serious offences and face bans ranging from five years to life, if found guilty.

Flanagan, head of the ACSU since 2010, said: “The inquiry was absolutely led by the PCB throughout and our role was simply that before the PSL match we received intelligence that was passed to us by the British National Crime Agency.” Flanagan added: “As chairman of the ICC’s ACSU and I work very closely with the domestic anti-corruption units across the world, whatever is the outcome of this case, I would say that the PCB and its unit in this entire process have demonstrated a great determination to keep cricket clean.”

Flanagan also met PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan and PCB executive committee chairman Najam Sethi in their offices. Shaharyar and Sethi thanked Flanagan for assisting the PCB anti-corruption and vigilance department in the ongoing spot-fixing hearing and reiterated PCB’s zero-tolerance stance towards corruption. The ICC formed the ACSU in 2001 following life bans on South African captain Hansie Cronje, Pakistan’s Salim Malik and India’s Mohammad Azharuddin after fixing inquiries by their respective countries.