LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board on Thursday provisionally suspended Zeeshan Malik of Northern Cricket Association under Article 4.7.1 of the PCB Anti-Corruption Code, which means he cannot take part in any cricket-related activity pending the investigation being carried out by PCB’s Anti-Corruption Unit.

It was immediately unclear where and when the offence took place.

Former Pakistan under-19 batter Zeeshan was a member of the Northern’s team which reached the semi-finals of the National T20 Cup, which concluded on Wednesday. Zeeshan scored 123 runs in five matches for his side, which finished top in the first-round round-robin league.

“Any decision to Provisionally Suspend the Participant will be communicated to the Participant in writing, with a copy sent at the same time to the International Cricket Council and, where applicable, the National Cricket Federation to which the Participant is affiliated,” the PCB said in a news release.

“Article 4.7.1 reads as: Where either: (a) the PCB decides to charge a Participant with an offence under this Anti-Corruption Code; or (b) the PCB considers that there are other exceptional circumstances relevant to a Participant (for example, where any relevant police authority has arrested and/or charged a Participant with an offence under any relevant criminal law in respect of facts or circumstances that may also constitute an offence under this Anti-Corruption Code), it shall have the discretion, in circumstances where it considers that the integrity of the sport could otherwise be seriously undermined, to Provisionally Suspend the Participant pending the Anti-Corruption Tribunal’s determination of whether he/she has committed an offence.”

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2021