'Life ban on Malik not to be revoked'

Karachi: A top Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official has said that even if Salim Malik goes to the Supreme Court, the life ban imposed on him would not be reversed.

Website total-cricket.com quoted PCB chairman Lt Gen Tauqir Zia as saying: "Withdrawing the life ban on Salim Malik is out of question.

"It is based on the recommendations made in the Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum report made on the basis of strong evidence."

"Malik can go to the Supreme Court of Pakistan if he likes to but the ban cannot be revoked."

Salim Malik, banned for life and fined Rs one million after being found guilty of match-fixing, earlier this replied to the PCB show cause notice and urged the establishment not to deprive of his livelihood.

The PCB has forwarded Malik's show cause notice to Naveed Rasool, former PCB legal advisor who is now investigation players assets besides reviewing Justice Qayyum's report.

The general, commenting on Malik's contest that Wasim Akram has been left off despite the fact similar charges were investigated against him, said: "In his (Wasim Akram's) case, no evidence has been produced.

"In the beginning, Ata-ur-Rehman did submit an affidavit saying that he was offered money by (Wasim) Akram to play below par. Later, he backtracked from the same and we didn't have any grounds on which to implicate Akram."