LAHORE: The three-man tribunal set up by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to probe the spot-fixing scam of the Pakistan Super League, held its first hearing here on Friday and ruled soon afterwards that around a month and a half will be required for it to start the day-to-day hearings of the case.

The preliminary hearing of the PCB tribunal, held at the National Cricket Academy here on Friday, was presided by its chairman, former Justice Lahore High Court Ijaz Haider Rizvi. But only one of the five suspected cricketers, Sharjeel Khan, appeared before the tribunal while the other player summoned for the hearing, Khalid Lateef, could not appear on medical ground.

Khalid has now been summoned on March 31 with a warning that no further permission to defer the hearing will be granted.

Sharjeel appeared before the tribunal with his lawyer Shaigan Ijaz. while, for the PCB, its legal advisor Taffazul Rizvi and another lawyer Haider Ali Khan appeared. PCB General Manager Legal Affairs Salman Naseer and Director Vigilance and Security Department of PCB Col. (retd.) Mohammad Azam Khan were also present in the tribunal hearing on Friday..

“Counsel for PCB read out the charges leveled against Sharjeel Khan which includes breach of Articles 2.1.1; 2.1.2; 2.1.3; 2.4.4 and 2.4.5 of the PCB Anti-Corruption Code for Participants 2015,” a PCB spokesman said in a statement.

“The Tribunal in consultation with both parties agreed upon the procedure and timelines to be adopted under the Anti-Corruption Code. PCB shall submit its opening brief detailing its claims along with the evidence to be relied on by 14th April 2017.

“This time period has been agreed in order to give the PCB ACU an opportunity to travel to UK to interview Nasir Jamshed and meet with relevant UK authorities and determine if any of its findings are to be incorporated in the prosecution.

“Sharjeel shall be provided an opportunity to respond by 5th May 2017 and PCB may, at its discretion, file a rebuttal by 10th May 2017. The Final Hearing shall commence from 15th May 2017 on a day-to-day basis,” the statement said.

“Khalid Latif, despite notice, has not made an appearance. He filed an application for adjournment via email to the Chairman of the Tribunal citing health reasons and requesting that proceedings be adjourned till next week. In the interest of justice, the request is allowed and the proceedings in respect of Khalid are adjourned to 11:30am on 31st March 2017. Notice would also be issued with a stipulation that no further adjournment would be granted.

“Since under the PCB’s Anti-Corruption Code the proceedings are meant to be kept confidential, no comments will be made by any party or the Tribunal on the merits of the case,” the statement concluded.

It is learnt that once the day-to-day hearing of the tribunal starts from May 15, the tribunal has to announce the verdict in 40 days time.

Moreover, it is also learnt that the PCB officials will travel to London from April 3-8 to interrogate Nasir Jamshed, the fifth cricketer who is allegedly involved in persuading the players for the spot-fixing during the PSL. Nasir’s passport has been seized by the British authorities, so he cannot travel and now two PCB officials will travel to London to interrogate him.

Two others cricketers Mohammad Irfan and Shahzaib Hasan were served with the Notice of Charge on March 14 and March 17, respectively. They both will have to submit their replies in the next 14 days from the issuance of the notices. If they accept the charges, they will not appear before the tribunal but if they plead guilty, their case will also run in the tribunal which has two other members including former PCB chairman Lt. Gen. (retd.) Tauqir Zia and former Test cricketer Wasim Bari.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2017