Lahore March 19: The three members of the Anti-Corruption Tribunal tasked with adjudicating the spot-fixing matter submitted their respective consents on Friday 17th March. The tribunal comprises of the following:
Justice (Retired) Asghar Haider (Chairman)
Lt. General (Retired) Tauqir Zia (Member)
Former Test player and Team Manager Wasim Bari(Member)
The members of the Tribunal were sent appointment notifications last week after the two accused players Khalid Latif and Sharjeel Khan formally informed PCB that they would contest the charges framed against them. If the players had admitted their guilt the matter would have been referred to the Chairman of PCB’s Disciplinary Panel who would have simply determined the imposition of sanctions on the two players.
As per the prescribed procedure the Tribunal will now issue notices for a preliminary hearing to both PCB and the players. At the preliminary hearing future procedure and dates of hearing will be decided.
Moreover, at the preliminary hearing the Tribunal in consultation with PCB and the two players will decide when the PCB is to submit an opening brief detailing the claims against the two players along with the evidence to be presented and relied on; the date by which the players must respond/reply to the PCB’s opening brief; and the date of the final full hearing.
It is important to remind the media that the PCB Anti-Corruption Unit and Legal Department cannot share or provide any evidence before the scheduled date for presenting it before the Tribunal which is yet to be fixed by the Tribunal.
Background:
-Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif were provisionally suspended on February 10 under the PCB's Anti-Corruption Code as part of an investigation into alleged attempts to corrupt the 2017 Pakistan Super League (PSL). Both batsmen were sent home and summoned for a preliminary hearing soon after where they were further investigated by PCB’s legal team and the ACU.
-The players were handed over a charge sheet a week after they were sent home from the PSL in UAE. They were charged for breaching various articles under Clause 2, including specific ones to attempt to corrupt a game, as well as failure to disclose suspect approaches.
-The specific articles of the PCB Anti-Corruption Code both violated are: 2.1.1, 2.1.2, 2.1.3, 2.4.4 and 2.4.5. In addition, Khalid Latif was charged for breaching code 2.1.4.
- As per the PCB’s legal procedure, the case was only referred to the tribunal since the two players decided to contest the charges laid against them by the ACU within the stipulated 14 day period after they were charged.
-If the players had admitted their guilt the matter would have been referred to the Chairman of PCB’s Disciplinary Panel who would have simply determined the imposition of sanctions on the two players.
- The Tribunal’s proceedings shall commence with a preliminary hearing where the Tribunal in consultation with PCB and the two players will decide when the PCB is to submit an opening brief detailing the claims against the two players along with the evidence.
-The Tribunal will also determine a date by which the players need to respond to the charges leveled against them and the evidence provided in PCB’s opening brief after which the date of the full final hearing will be announced.
-More than one day may be consumed in finalizing the matter(final hearing) after which the Tribunal will announce its findings.
