ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has said that it will undertake forensic examination of available evidence on spot-fixing allegations during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and the information provided by the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) to fix responsibility on people involved in it.

In a preliminary report submitted to Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the premier investigation agency said it was looking into the matter pertaining to deletion of messages from mobile phones of players to find out which of them were in contact with bookies and what had been agreed upon between them.

The report, according to the Ministry of Interior, has identified some vital points with respect to steps taken to prevent spot-fixing during the PSL and the possibility of players’ involvement.

Preliminary report submitted to interior minister

Chaudhry Nisar observed that it was not merely a matter of corruption and personal act of some players, but an issue that had given Pakistan a bad name and, therefore, comprehensive investigation should be conducted covering all aspects and angles. He asked the FIA to probe the matter in an impartial manner without succumbing to any pressure or influence. He also directed the FIA to complete investigations at the earliest.

Islamabad United duo Sharjeel Khan and Khalild Latif were sent home from Dubai by the authorities last month after they confessed to their links to an international syndicate trying to corrupt the PSL. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had also provisionally suspended the two players under its anti-corruption code as part of an ongoing investigation into the international syndicate believed to be attempting to corrupt the PSL.

PCB Chairman Shahryar Khan had on Feb 24 told a Senate committee that the suspended duo plus pace bowler Mohammad Irfan had confessed to meeting a bookie, named Yousuf, through Nasir Jamshed.

“Actually, nowadays bookies across the world approach cricketers through their friends and family members; and the same happened in Dubai where our three cricketers met a bookie through Nasir,” said the chairman.

He said Irfan didn’t pay any heed to the offer from the bookie. But the pacer didn’t inform the PCB about their meeting.

“I think Irfan was not aware of his meeting with the bookie,” reckoned the PCB chairman, adding that Sharjeel played two dot balls after a deal with the bookie.

The PCB chairman further said that Sharjeel and Khalid had backtracked on their earlier statements about PSL spot-fixing saga. “In their initial informal statement, they had confessed to meeting the bookie and their crime. However, while recording their formal statement, they changed their statements,” he remarked.

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2017