LAHORE, April 13: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday banned umpires Nadeem Ghauri and Anis Siddiqui for four and three years respectively after both were found guilty of being willing to compromise their honesty in performing their professional duties.

Ghauri, 50, is a former international player who besides playing a Test match against Australia in 1990 at Sydney, has officiated in five Tests, 43 ODIs and four Twenty20 Internationals. Anis, 54, is a first-class umpire.

It is pertinent to recall that in October last year an Indian television channel, India TV, had reported the matter in a sting operation.

The umpires caught up in the sting included the two from Pakistan, three from Sri Lanka (Gamini Dissanayake, Maurice Winston and Segara Gallage) and Nadir Shah of Bangladesh.

Last month, the Bangladesh Cricket Board banned Shah, an international umpire, for ten years after he appeared willing to give lbw decisions on demand. All the umpires were immediately suspended by their respective countries on the International Cricket Council (ICC) instructions pending inquiry.

The PCB had constituted an inquiry committee to probe the matter of its two umpires, which on Saturday announced its recommendations, and which were also endorsed by the board.

The PCB in its statement said that the inquiry committee comprising Ehsan Sadiq, Director Vigilance and Security, Intikhab Alam, Director Game Development and Barrister Salman Naseer, Manager Legal, obtained unedited video footage from the India TV along with all relevant evidence available with the ICC.

The PCB in its statement said: “In accordance with the recommendations of the PCB inquiry committee, chairman Zaka Ashraf presided over a meeting of the integrity committee at the National Cricket Academy on Saturday to examine and determine the guilt of Nadeem Ghauri and Anis Siddiqui in relation to the allegations levelled against them.

“The report of the inquiry committee was perused by the members of the integrity committee, relevant clips of the Skype conversations which incriminate both the umpires were viewed and the committee personally heard both the umpires.

“The integrity committee members were of the unanimous view that substantial incriminating material was available on record suggestive of the fact that both the umpires were willing to compromise their integrity in discharge of their professional duties. The members were thus unanimous in their view that the two umpires [Ghauri and Anis] cannot be cleared of the allegations levelled against them,” the board’s statement said.

Consequently, according to the PCB statement, the integrity committee unanimously recommended as under:

“That Nadeem Ghauri, being a former Test cricketer and also elevated to the ICC’s elite panel of umpires and PCB’s international panel, straight away agreed to extend undue favours for material gains. Therefore, he cannot be cleared for consideration of appointment as an umpire/match official or in any other capacity in any form of cricket held/organised/supervised/conducted/controlled under the aegis of the PCB for four years from the date of institution of the inquiry i.e. Oct 11, 2012. Further, during the said period he may not be considered for association/appointment with the PCB in any other form or position.”

About Anis, the PCB stated: “That Anis Siddiqui being only a domestic umpire with lesser experience of only eight years did not straight away fall prey to the undue suggestions made by India TV sting operatives and kept on resisting their undue demands repeatedly, but finally conceded to them on their persistence.

“Keeping in view his limited exposure to international cricket and codes of conduct, his case is of mitigating circumstances and therefore he cannot be cleared for consideration of appointment as an umpire/match official or in any other capacity in any form of cricket held/organised/supervised/conducted/controlled under the aegis of the PCB for three years from the date of institution of the inquiry i.e. Oct 11, 2012.”

Meanwhile, commenting on the occasion, PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf said: “The PCB has a zero-tolerance policy for corruption or indiscipline.

“Today’s decision reiterates the commitment of the PCB to keep our great sport free of all corrupt practices.”

Reuters adds: Meanwhile, Ghauri denied the corruption charges levelled against him.

“It is a big shock to me,” he said. “I will be consulting my lawyers and associates to see what I should do now. I have never indulged in corruption in my life as player or umpire.”