LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Anti-Corruption Unit has handed over the charge sheets to suspected cricketers Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif after both refused to confess their involvement in any corrupt practice during the on-going Pakistan Super League (PSL).

The charge sheets were given to the cricketers after the ACU headed by Col. (retd.) Azam failed to get a confession from the two cricketers at the end of the three-day interrogation on Saturday.

“Both Sharjeel and Khalid have been given charge sheets today and they are bound to submit their replies in the next 14 days,” said PCB Director Media Amjad Hussain Bhatti while talking to media here on Saturday.

“If both the cricketers will deny the charges leveled on them, then a commission headed by a retired judge will be formed to probe the case,”Amjad said.

Meanwhile, Dawn learnt that while Sharjeel is facing five charges while Khalid has to answer for six charges.

The common charges that the two players are required to answer for include:

a. Fixing or planning in any way or otherwise influence improperly, the results, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any domestic match by deliberately underperforming therein.

b. Ensuring for betting or other corrupt purposes the occurrence of a particular incident in a domestic match

c. Seeking, accepting, offering or agreeing to accept any bribe or other reward to fix or to contrive in any way the result, progress or any other aspect of any domestic match

d. Failing to disclose to the PCB Vigilance and Security Department (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitations received by the participant to engage in Corrupt Conduct which amount to breach of this Anti-Corruption Code Besides, Khalid is also facing the charge of directly or indirectly soliciting, inducing, enticing, instructing, persuading, encouraging or intentionally facilitating any participant to breach any of the foregoing provisions of this code of conduct.

Dawn further learnt that both the cricketers who were sidelined from the PSL on Feb 11 after the PCB came to know of their activities in Dubai and subsequently sent them home with the claim that they had confessed their crime, have now decided to contest their cases.

“It seems the boys have changed their mind of pleading guilty after getting some briefing from their supporters. Otherwise, both had earlier confessed their crime in Dubai,” sources in the PCB told Dawn.

Initially, five cricketers had come under suspicion for spot-fixing - the other three being Muhammad Irfan, Zulfiqar Babar and Shahzaib Hasan, but later the three got clearance from the ACU after investigation while Sharjeel and Khalid were sent back home for further interrogation.

It is learnt that an eminent cricketer and a prominent, respected member of the civil society will be included in the commission that will work under the supervision of a retired judge.

Published in Dawn February 19th, 2017