Lahore:-Last year’s PSL spot-fixing scandal has claimed yet another scalp, with Shahzaib Hasan handed a one-year ban after falling foul of the PCB’s anti-corruption code. Shahzaib was found guilty on two counts of breaching Clause 2.4.4, which deals with a failure to disclose corrupt approaches, and one count of Clause 2.4.5, which concerns the failure to report any incident a player is aware of that would amount to a breach of the anti-corruption code.

Shahzaib has, crucially, been found not guilty of breaching the far more serious Clause 2.1.4, which involves “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.” That would have likely led to a significantly longer ban.

Since Shahzaib was provisionally suspended by the PCB on March 18 last year, his ban is less than three weeks away from its end. He has also been fined Rs 1 million (approximately 6500). However, the PCB’s legal advisor Taffazul Rizvi, speaking to reporters after the verdict, said this did not mean he would be eligible to play cricket as soon as that.

“His ban may end on March 17, but remember that according to the anti-corruption code, you have to go through a rehabilitation process. The first step towards beginning rehabilitation is the acceptance of guilt. If he does not accept that he was guilty, then his rehabilitation process cannot begin.”

Shahzaib is the sixth player to be sanctioned in the wake of the PSL spot-fixing case. Today’s events meant all six players – Sharjeel Khan (5 years), Khalid Latif (5 years), Mohammad Irfan (1 year) , Mohammad Nawaz (2 months), Nasir Jamshed (1 year) were the others – have been banned for certain lengths of time for their role in the saga. Even so, the process is not yet concluded. The PCB has slapped further corruption charges on Nasir Jamshed, which could result in a longer ban, while it is not yet clear whether either party will appeal the tribunal’s verdict on Shahzaib.

It has been more than seven years since the opening batsman Shahzaib last played for Pakistan, with his participation in their victorious 2009 World T20 campaign the highlight of his brief international career of three ODIs and 10 T20Is.

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BRISTOL: Ben Stokes will join the England squad in New Zealand after the star all-rounder pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a charge of affray over a nightclub incident that forced him out of the Ashes tour.

The 26-year-old all-rounder appeared at Bristol Magistrates´ Court in the southwest of England along with two other men and was granted bail before the next hearing in the case takes place on March 12 at Bristol Crown Court.

The England and Wales Cricket Board issued a statement shortly after Stokes´s first court appearance confirming his travel plans but he is not expected to make an immediate return after nearly five months out of the side.

“Having entered his plea at Bristol Magistrates´ Court today, Ben Stokes will now travel to New Zealand to join the England squad,” said an ECB spokesman.

“He departs tomorrow, Wednesday 14 February, and will arrive on Friday 16 February, ready to train with England team-mates in Hamilton.”

The statement said any decision to include him in upcoming matches would be made by the England management team. He is not currently being considered for the ongoing International Twenty20 tri-series against New Zealand and Australia.

England start a five-match one-day international series against New Zealand on February 25, followed by two Tests.

“(The) ECB fully respects his right to defend himself in court and any obligations he has within the legal process will always take precedence over England commitments,” added the statement.

“It has been confirmed that he will not be required to return to the UK for the first hearing at Bristol Crown Court on Monday 12 March.”

Stokes, who missed England´s 4-0 Ashes drubbing after being suspended from playing for England, appeared at the court in Bristol along with Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale.

Altercation

It follows an altercation during the early hours of September 25 last year, several hours after England had played a one-day international against the West Indies in the city.

It is alleged a 27-year-old man suffered a fractured eye socket in the incident, at which fellow England cricketer Alex Hales was also present. Hales faced no charges.

Ali, Stokes and Hale spoke to confirm their names, dates of births, addresses and nationalities. The clerk read out the charges and all three defendants indicated not guilty pleas.

Stokes is accused jointly with Ali and Hale of using or threatening unlawful violence towards another.

The charge states that his “conduct was such as would cause a person of reasonable firmness present at the scene to fear for his personal safety”. The other two defendants face the same charge.

All three defendants elected to be tried by a jury at a crown court, with the offence carrying a maximum penalty of up to three years in prison.

“I have decided that your trial will take place at the crown court at Bristol. The first hearing date will be March 12,” said District Judge Simon Cooper. “You will be on bail.”

In a statement posted on Twitter last month after he was charged, Stokes said he was “keen to have an opportunity to clear my name”.

While England were in Australia, Stokes played a few games for Canterbury Kings during a month-long spell in New Zealand before returning home to England.

He is due to play in the Indian Premier League after being sold for £1.4 million ($1.9 million) to the Rajasthan Royals.

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LAHORE: An independent adjudicator on Wednesday rejected cricketer Khalid Latif’s plea against his suspension in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) spot-fixing case.

During a hearing of the plea, adjudicator Justice (retd) Faqir Muhammad Khokhar maintained the five-year ban handed to the cricketer by the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) anti-corruption tribunal last year, after he was found guilty of spot-fixing and other breaches of the board’s anti-corruption code.

Khalid Latif had also been fined one million rupees for his role in the spot-fixing scandal. However, the adjudicator waived the amount keeping in view that the cricketer’s career has effectively ended.

PCB legal advisor Tafazzul Rizvi, speaking to media after the latest development, emphasised that the ban is intended to serve as a deterrent to others.

“The board [is not fond of] slapping [such bans]. It does so in order to set an example [to others as a deterrent],” he said.

Along with Latif, fellow Islamabad United opener Sharjeel Khan was also suspended by the PCB for five years after the anti-corruption tribunal found him guilty of playing a role in the corruption as well.

Fast bowler Mohammad Irfan and all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz were also suspended for twelve and two months, respectively, for not reporting the corrupt approach to the board in a timely manner.

The probe is ongoing against Karachi Kings batsman Shahzaib Hasan and former Pakistan opener Nasir Jamshed.

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