Independent adjudicator concludes hearing in Saleem Malik's sting operation case, verdict in 15 days

Karachi: The hearing into tainted former Pakistan cricket captain Saleem Malik’s appeal seeking permission to become a coach has been completed by a PCB-appointed independent adjudicator, who will announce his judgement in 15 days’ time. Malik and his lawyer, Saood Cheema told the media after the hearing that they were confident their request would be accepted. [caption id=“attachment_8461871” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  File image of Former Pakistan test captain Salim Malik. AP[/caption] Malik is being heard by Justice (rtd) Fazal Miran Chohan, who was appointed by the Pakistan Cricket Board. He has stated that since the match-fixing life ban imposed on him by the board in 2000 has been revoked by a lower court, he should be allowed to get involved in cricket again as he wants to become a coach. The board has not given Malik permission as yet and asked him to respond to questions regarding a meeting he held with some people in London in 2000 in which allegedly fixing of matches and players was discussed. “For the first time the PCB today produced the original ICC letter on the basis of which this case against my client of having a negative role in the transcript of the meeting which was recorded in 2000 was made,” Cheema said. He claimed the ICC itself had not verified the transcript. But sources said that the PCB got the tapes verified and on Monday, the board’s legal counsel, Tafazzul Rizvi submitted them with original cassettes to the adjudicator. “I had not accepted the transcript as it is a pack of lies. And now the ICC letter, which was presented by the PCB for the first time before the adjudicator, also mentions that it (transcript) has no authenticity,” Malik said. But he said he was happy that an in-depth discussion was held during the hearing and hoped that a decision will come in his favour in the next 15 days. Malik, who played 103 Tests and 283 ODIs, was banned for life for match-fixing on the recommendations of the Justice Malik Qayyum judicial commission. It was in 2011 that the PCB first got hold of the transcript and cassettes from the ICC about the meeting in London and by that time Malik claimed a lower court had cleared his life ban in 2008. “For the last 20 years I have been fighting for my right but they (PCB) are pushing me from one side to another…I hope by now many things have been cleared and the decision will come in my favour,” Malik said.