PCB issues charge sheet to Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Latif

SHARJAH: The Pakistan Cricket Board on Saturday formally charged the two provisionally suspended cricketers Khalid Latif and Sharjeel Khan under the PCB’s anti-corruption code. 

Both the players were suspended by the PCB after an initial inquiry into an alleged attempt by an international syndicate to corrupt the Pakistan Super League.

“Sharjeel Khan has been charged with violation of Code Articles 2.1.1; 2.1.2; 2.1.3; 2.4.4; and 2.4.5 and Khalid Latif has been charged with violation of Code Articles 2.1.1; 2.1.2; 2.1.3; 2.1.4; 2.4.4; and 2.4.5,” said a statement by the Pakistan Cricket Board.

According to the PCB’s anti-corruption code, the clause 2.1.1 states, “Fixing or contriving in any way or otherwise influencing improperly, or being a party to any agreement or effort to fix or contrive in any way or otherwise influence improperly, the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any Domestic Match, including (without limitation) by deliberately underperforming therein.”

The clause 2.1.2 says, “Ensuring for Betting or other corrupt purposes the occurrence of a particular incident in a Domestic Match.”

The clause 1.3 of Article 2 talks about accepting, seeking, offering or agreeing to bribe to fix the outcome of a match.

“Seeking, accepting, offering or agreeing to accept any bribe or other Reward to (a) fix or to contrive in any way or otherwise to influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any Domestic Match or (b) ensure for Betting or other corrupt purposes the occurrence of a particular incident in a Domestic Match,” says the article 2.1.3 of the PCB’s anti-corruption code.

Both the players have also been charged for not reporting about the approach to the PCB’s anti-corruption officer, under its anti-corruption code 2.4.4, which says, “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.”

They were also charged for violating the code 2.4.5, which states, “Failing or refusing to disclose to the PCB Vigilance and Security Department (without unnecessary delay) full details of any incident, fact, or matter that comes to the attention of a Participant that may evidence Corrupt Conduct under this Anti-Corruption Code by another Participant, including (without limitation) approaches or invitations that have been received by another Participant to engage in conduct that would amount to a breach of this Anti-Corruption Code.”

Batsman Khalid Latif has been additionally charged for soliciting, inducing, enticing, instructing, persuading, encouraging or intentionally facilitating an attempt to corrupt outcome of the match.

The code 2.1.4, which has been applied on Khalid, reads, “Directly or indirectly soliciting, inducing, enticing, instructing, persuading, encouraging or intentionally facilitating any Participant to breach any of the foregoing provisions of this Article 2.1.”

Both the players have 14 days to respond to the Notice of Charge. If they accept the charges then there will be no need for a Tribunal and only Chairman of Disciplinary Penal will issue a decision. If they contest, Chairman PCB will appoint a three-member Tribunal Panel. Before the panel the PCB will need to prove charges on balance of probability. Any appeal will be before PCB independent adjudicator. Then there will be no more appeal and the only option will be to file Writ before High Court.

“PCB maintains zero tolerance toward corrupt practices it believes are cancer eating at the heart of the game,” said the PCB statement.

“In the meanwhile investigations will continue by Vigilance & Security Department with regard to any questionable activity by any player and player support personnel,” the statement added.