LAHORE: Test and ODI cricketer Nasir Jamshed was banned for 10 years on Friday for violating Pakistan Cricket Board’s anti-corruption code.

The left-handed opener was given sentence by a three-member anti-corruption tribunal of the PCB.

“The tribunal has reached the verdict that the PCB’s multiple charges against Nasir Jamshed have been proved and he was banned for 10 years,” PCB lawyer Tafazzul Rizvi told reporters.

In its short decision, the tribunal headed by retired Justice Fazal-i-Miran Chohan stated, “Apart from suspension from playing any level of cricket, Nasir Jamshed, a player found in breach of the anti-corruption code, should also be ineligible from holding any management roles in Pakistan cricket for life.”

Nasir, 28, is the last player, who received suspension in the spot-fixing scam that erupted at last year’s Pakistan Super League (PSL) T20 tournament.

Batsmen Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Latif and Shahzaib Hasan — all of whom represented Pakistan in international cricket at different stages — have already received suspensions by the PCB in the case. Lanky Test pacer Mohammad Irfan, who turned approver in the said case and received a six-month suspension besides a Rs1 million fine, is the only player involved in the scandal who has resumed playing competitive cricket after completing his suspension period, imposed around a year ago.

Regarded as a promising batsman, Nasir played two Tests, 48 ODIs and 18 T20 Internationals for Pakistan. He hit three consecutive ODI hundreds against India in 2012.

However, his short career took a significant plunge during the 2015 ODI World Cup where he was found overweight and mocked at during fielding and managed to score just five runs in three matches.

Nasir was first banned for 12 months in December last year after he was found guilty of non-cooperation with the tribunal probing allegations of spot-fixing. In April this year, the PCB charged him with seven violations of its anti-corruption code. However, the cricketer rejected all the charges, which forced the PCB to constitute a three-member tribunal which also included former Test cricketer Aaqib Javed.

Nasir was charged under five different clauses of the code of conduct and therefore received the longest suspension period.

Meanwhile, while talking to media PCB lawyer Tafazzul Rizvi said the Board was not happy over getting the verdict against Nasir, whom the former termed the “linchpin” of the scam. Instead, the official added, it was a sad moment for Pakistan cricket, which he regretted was defamed due to the bad conduct of a few players. Nasir lured all the other players (involved in the case) to the menace of spot-fixing, the lawyer said.

To a question, Tafazzul said it was not PCB’s job to prove Mohammad Yousuf as a bookie, the man allegedly behind Nasir, adding it was the task of the law agencies.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2018