Picture Credit: PSL
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday (13 September) announced the suspension of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s left-arm spinner Asif Afridi with immediate effect. Afridi has been charged with two breaches by the board which include failing to report a corrupt approach. The cricketer won’t be able to take part in any cricket-related activity until the conclusion of the case that is currently under the PCB's anti-corruption unit.
The specifics of the charges levied on Asif have not been given by PCB but it has confirmed that the cricketer has been charged under Article 4.7.1 of the PCB Anti-Corruption Code which allows the board to use its discretion in circumstances "where it considers that the integrity of the sport could otherwise be seriously undermined". Asif has 14 days to respond to the charges against him.
"The Pakistan Cricket Board, on 12 September 2022, provisionally suspended Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's left-arm spinner Asif Afridi with immediate effect under Article 4.7.1 of the PCB Anti-Corruption Code, which means that he cannot take part in any cricket-related activity, pending conclusion of the investigation being carried out by PCB's Anti-Corruption Unit."
"Asif Afridi has today been issued a Notice of Charge for two breaches under Article 2.4 of the Code and has fourteen (14) days to respond to the charges," the PCB added.
The 35-year-old last appeared for KPK in the National T20 Cup on August 31, in Rawalpindi against Central Punjab, and has not found a place in the XI since. In his solitary appearance, he scored one run off one ball and returned figures of 2 for 24 in his four overs. The left-arm orthodox had also earned a call-up to the Pakistan side for the home series against Australia but did not make it into the XI.
This is not the first such instance when PCB has taken strict against a player involved in corruption. Most recently, it banned the batter Umar Akmal for not reporting spot-fixing approaches made to him before the start of PSL 2020. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reduced his ban from 18 months to 12 months, but the PCB issued a condition that his reintegration was subject to Akmal paying a fine of PKR 4.25 million and taking part in a rehabilitation program.