Pakistan left-handed batsman Sharjeel Khan had given a thought of appealing against the five-year ban, as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appointed three-member tribunal committee, had found him guilty before the verdict from Lahore High Court, in the Pakistan Super League’s spot-fixing scandal which eventually jolted the Board.
Earlier, in March, the 28-year-old Hyderabad-born was summoned by the Board’s Anti-Corruption unit and was charged with breaching the Code of Conduct.
In its detailed document, PCB further stated Sharjeel’s case as ‘irrefutable’ while suggesting the cricketer has been involved in the fixing during the opener of the first match of the Twenty20 professional league.
Moreover, PCB authority adamant in approach in its 60-page report on Board’s digital medium revealed Sharjeel did not only met the bookmaker but has also applied what he was suggested by one of the members of the international booking syndicate, who are looking to corrupt the games.
“We have come to the irrefutable conclusion that not only spot fixing was discussed by Mr. Sharjeel Khan, but was meticulously executed by him in a text book manner, in the mode and manner agreed,” PCB’s verdict read.
According to the sports section of Geo Network, Sharjeel is bound to file the petition while relying on his lawyer, after having the reservations with the panel-led by Lahore’s retired Justice Asghar Haider.
The members of the tribunal for ACU included retired Lt Gen Tauqir Zia and former Pakistan wicket-keeper batsman and manager Wasim Bari.
The committee was formed on March 20 earlier this year, after the PCB suggested their names as representatives on March 17 in a statement.
“The narration of the events, as made by the PCB, in the opening brief and substantiated by witnesses and circumstances narrated before us, not only by the witnesses of PCB, but by other relevant material available on record,” the statement from PCB revealed.
While being grilled by ACU’s committee, Sharjeel and his legal representative on numerous occasions had requested the body for an independent judge, who would see after serious case, before the verdict came out in the last week of August.
Interestingly, according to the PCB had already made the statement public, as the document set deadline for September 22, in a bid to allow Sharjeel to file the response.
The explosive batsman and burly Sharjeel, who has played 25 One-day international and 15 Twenty20 internationals while donning the Men in Green has had shown the reservations alongside Khalid Latif for pushing PCB to allow an independent judge to hear the fixing-scandal case.
According to the reports and sources close to the banned cricketer Sharjeel, as he also has the possibility of filing the response in Switzerland within Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), but the reports suggested he has opted to go with an independent adjudicator.