Is PCB harsh punishment on Muhammad Irfan is worth defending
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KARACHI: A top Pakistan cricket official on Thursday defended a one year ban for fast bowler Mohammad Irfan, saying there will be zero tolerance on corruption in the sport.
Irfan, 34, is the first casualty of the spot-fixing case which surfaced during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) held in February-March this year.
Four other players -- Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Latif, Shahzaib Hasan and Nasir Jamshed -- were also provisionally suspended in February and face lengthy bans.
Irfan, the tallest-ever international cricketer at over seven feet, was also fined one million rupees (10,000 dollars) for an "agreed sanction" after he confessed to the charges.
Irfan´s ban includes six months suspended and if he co-operates with authorities he can return to international cricket, a sentence which come former players and experts believe too lenient.
But PSL chairman Najam Sethi said the rules were followed in handing down punishment to Irfan. "Irfan has been punished according to the rules in the code that are in some ways stricter than even ICC (International Cricket Council) rules," Sethi told AFP.
Under the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) anti-corruption code the punishment for "not reporting an offer" is from six months to a life ban.
