LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has once again made a contact with former Pakistan captain Salim Malik, sending a questionnaire relating to a pending inquiry against him, since 2011.

Sources told Dawn on Thursday that until and unless Malik replies to the pending inquiry, he will not be cleared to join any cricket body affiliated with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

The inquiry is related to his alleged meetings held in the UK in 2000 when he was banned for life by retired Justice Abdul Qayyum Commission the same year. After the commission banned him for life, it is alleged that Malik had some suspected meetings in the UK, the transcripts of which were obtained by the ICC and which raised doubts over the purpose of these meetings.

Later, Salim succeeded in winning a case against the ban from a civil court in 2008. The PCB did not challenge the verdict of the court as Malik was cleared. The PCB also paid his provident fund and other dues after the court’s verdict.

Former chairman PCB Ijaz Butt also appointed him as head coach in the National Cricket Academy in the same year of 2008 but the PCB failed to get the backing of ICC in that decision and it was overturned within hours. Later, the ICC anti-corruption unit initiated another inquiry against Salim Malik in 2011 about his meetings held in the UK.

In a recent media talk, PCB’s lawyer Taffazul Rizvi had pointed out that first Salim should provide answers to the questions he was given in 2011 and only then he will be allowed to work in cricket-related projects. Salim, however, has denied that he was ever given any such questions about any meetings in the UK. To that, the PCB has responded now and have once again sent him the questionnaire pertaining to the inquiry.

A PCB spokesman said no ban exists on Salim Malik but an inquiry is pending against him since 2011.

Despite repeated efforts, Salim Malik could not be contacted on his cell phone.

It is interesting to note, however, that from the year 2000 to his clearance from the court in 2008, the ICC did not ask Salim to answer any questions about any inquiry related to his UK meetings.

Salim, now 57, represented Pakistan in 103 Tests and 283 ODIs and was considered one of the finest batsmen ever produced by Pakistan. He is also in the list of successful captains of the country.

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2020