PSL spot-fixing: Pakistan batsman Sharjeel Khan unhappy with five-year ban handed out by tribunal

Karachi: Pakistan batsman Sharjeel Khan, who was on Wednesday banned for five years on spot-fixing charges, said he has reservations over the decision announced by the three-member Anti-Corruption tribunal of the Pakistan Cricket Board. His lawyer Shaighan Ejaz told a media conference hours after the tribunal released its short order announcing the ban that Sharjeel would mull over appealing against the decision. [caption id=“attachment_3991991” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Sharjeel Khan. AFP[/caption] “Even though the ban is technically for two and half years but my client is concerned that he can’t play cricket until August 2019,” Ejaz said. He said the tribunal decision was not as expected by them. “Given the proceedings of the case, we were expecting a different decision,” he said. Ejaz said that once the full order was announced, his client would decide on filing an appeal within 14-days against his five-year ban. PCB’s legal advisor Tafazzul Rizvi hinted that the Board was also not satisfied with the decision. “The tribunal accepted all five charges against Sharjeel but gave him the minimum possible punishment. It is also a fact that Sharjeel even after the completion of his ban will have to convince the PCB and authorities that he can be allowed back into competition,” he said. Sharjeel, who has played one Test, 25 ODIs and 25 T20 internationals for Pakistan, was sent back from Dubai in February with teammate Khalid Latif by the PCB after they were found violating the anti-corruption code in the Pakistan Super League. The tribunal could hand a tougher punishment on Khalid Latif as he has, unlike Sharjeel, not accepted the authority of the tribunal through his lawyer and also challenged the formation of the tribunal twice in the Lahore High Court.