Daily Times

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday charged and provisionally suspended giant fast bowler Mohammad Irfan over allegations of spot-fixing during the recently concluded Pakistan Super League II in the United Arab Emirates. Irfan has been suspended from all forms of the game for allegedly failing to report an approach by bookies. The 34-year-old fast bowler was sanctioned on Monday as the Board’s investigation into alleged corruption in the PSL gathered steam. The high profile case has so far ensnared three other current or former national stars and threatens to take some of the sheen off the PSL which has been hailed as a step towards restoring international cricket in the terror-hit country after the final in Lahore passed without incident.

Irfan broke the PCB’s Anti-Corruption Code twice and the latest incident happened at the PSL in February. He had been pulled up for questioning during the tournament but was allowed to keep playing for his team Islamabad United. Irfan appeared before the PCB Anti-Corruption Unit, the other being Karachi Kings batsman Shahzaib Hasan, and confessed to being approached by a bookmaker about fixing matches in the past six months. He admitted he failed to report the incidents because of the death of his father in September followed by his mother’s passing in January.

“The Pakistan Cricket Board in furtherance to its investigation issued a Notice of Charge and provisionally suspended Irfan under the PCB Anti-Corruption Code,” a PCB spokesman said. “Irfan has been charged with two violations of Code Article 2.4.4 and now has 14 days to respond to the Notice of Charge. He has also been provisionally suspended with immediate effect from participating in all forms of cricket,” the spokesman added. The article that Irfan was found in breach of dealt with “failing to disclose to the PCB Vigilance and Security Department (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitations received by the Participant to engage in Corrupt Conduct under this Anti-Corruption Code.”

Irfan is the fourth player to be suspended in relation to this case. Batsmen Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif were charged in February but since they were contesting some of the charges an independent tribunal has been set up to look into their case. Former Pakistan opener Nasir Jamshed was suspended and arrested in the United Kingdom as part of the same investigation, later being let out on bail until April. A guilty verdict for the players would prove disastrous for Pakistan cricket, which was last rocked by a match-fixing scandal in 2010 that deprived it of three top players including paceman Mohammad Amir, who has since made a comeback.

The PCB, which has formed a three-member tribunal under former Lahore High Court Judge Asghar Haider to probe the allegations, said the investigation would continue. Irfan made headlines for his extraordinary height – seven feet and one inch – 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 Twenty20 internationals, but has achieved most success in his 60 one-day internationals where he has taken 83 wickets at an average of 30.71. His stature makes him a dangerous bowler as each ball is released from a height rarely experienced by batsmen. Born a farmer’s son in the small village of Gaggu Mandi, Irfan in his younger days was mocked by classmates and strangers because of his height. Unable to make a breakthrough in the sport, he once made ends meet by working in a pipe factory, before being spotted by former first-class cricketer Nadeem Iqbal in a club match, and went on to make his first-class debut in 2009.

Last week, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had said that it would undertake forensic examination of available evidence on spot-fixing allegations during the PSL and the information provided by the PCB to fix responsibility on people involved in it. In a preliminary report submitted to Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the premier investigation agency said it was looking into the matter pertaining to deletion of messages from mobile phones of players to find out which of them were in contact with bookies and what had been agreed upon between them. The report, according to the Ministry of Interior, has identified some vital points with respect to steps taken to prevent spot-fixing during the PSL and the possibility of players’ involvement.