The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has today (Friday) imposed a 10-year ban on former national team batsman Nasir Jamshed after describing him as the “lynchpin” in a corruption scandal that engulfed the 2017 edition of Twenty20 competition the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Today’s verdict wraps up the PCB’s investigation into the spot-fixing case, which has also seen sanctions against five other players, and is the heaviest punishment issued. In December, Jamshed (pictured) was handed a one-year ban by the PCB for alleged non-cooperation with the investigation and the Board hinted that stronger charges could yet follow.
An independent anti-corruption tribunal has now found him guilty of five of the seven breaches of the PCB’s anti-corruption code he was charged with. The PCB considered the 28-year-old the central figure connecting several corruption cases where he was alleged to have approached and solicited other players to match fix.
“PSL 2017’s fixing trial has concluded,” PCB legal advisor Tafazzul Rizvi said after today’s verdict, according to the ESPNcricinfo website. “There are a few cases you really don’t rejoice after winning; instead you feel sad about it because it ends with another career destroyed. It’s painful to see a player who didn’t have his conduct right and didn’t fulfil his responsibilities according to the anti-corruption code of conduct. Our stance from the first day was he was the lynchpin and he is the one who recruited players.
“Our point was proved and accepted by the tribunal, and they found him guilty on multiple charges. Even if he returns after rehabilitation, he is not allowed to be engage in any cricket management role and will be kept away from cricket. We also suggested his name be added in a list of persons mentioned in anti-corruption lectures who are to be avoided by the players. So this all ends here.”
In February 2017, Jamshed was arrested in the UK in relation to the corruption investigation surrounding the franchise-based PSL. The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) released a statement saying it was “working closely” with the PCB and International Cricket Council (ICC) anti-corruption units into the matter. He was later released on bail and the status of the UK investigation remains unclear.
Jamshed played in two Tests, 48 one-day internationals and 18 Twenty20 matches for Pakistan, the most recent of which came in March 2015. Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Latif, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Irfan and Shahzaib Hasan were all previously fined and banned on separate charges connected to the PSL scandal.
