LAHORE: Counsels for the PCB and Khalid Latif, undergoing spot-fixing investigation, defended their respective stance when the latter appeared before the PCB-appointed Anti-corrup­tion Tribunal (ACU) on Friday.

Sharjeel Khan, another player facing similar charges, also appeared before the same body.

Khalid’s attorney Badar Alam alleged that his client had again been called by the PCB Anti-corruption Unit (ACU) which was nothing but a pressure tactic to force him to confess to the crime and in reward he would be given lesser punishment.

He added that the PCB had no evidence against his client, the tribunal was illegal and it had no right to penalise any cricketer.

The lawyer further said the PCB had only a video message of Khalid in which a bookie had contacted him while the Board had no evidence that Khalid had met any bookie.

Badar further claimed the ICC had never given any proof against his client and added that an appeal against formation of the tribunal was already pending before the Lahore High Court.

He said his client’s case was strong and he would not escape.

PCB’s lawyer Tafazzul Rizvi said Khalid had submitted his reply to the tribunal in which he had neither given any evidence nor witness to prove his innocence.

He alleged that Khalid only wanted to create hurdles to delay the case while the PCB had strong proofs against him.

Tafazzul added that another cricketer Nasir Jamshed would be interrogated on May 12 through internet as he was in London and could not travel to Pakistan as his passport has been seized by British authorities.

Meanwhile, a press release issued by the PCB on Friday’s meeting of the ACU said, “At the hearing, Mr Sharjeel Khan’s counsel Mr Shaigan Ejaz and Mr Khalid Latif’s counsel Mr Badar Alam requested that better copies of certain pages of PCB’s opening brief be provided. Upon directions of the Tribunal, the same were provided by PCB.

“Mr Sharjeel Khan was given till May 10, 2017, to file his answering brief. Thereafter, PCB shall have the option of filing a reply brief, if it deems necessary by May 13, 2017.

“Mr Khalid Latif through his counsel filed his answering brief to PCB’s opening brief and copies of the same were provided to PCB. Under the Code, PCB may, if it so desires, file a reply brief to Mr Khalid Latif’s answering brief by May 10, 2017.”

Published in Dawn, May 6th, 2017