Malik to challenge the ban in court

Lahore, May 24: Former Test captain Salim Malik said on Wednesday that he would move the court of law to get life-ban upon him lifted. Salim Malik was reacting to the ban recommended upon him." It was regrettable that life-ban has been imposed on me while others have been awarded cash-fines only", said Salim Malik.

The former Pakistan star batsman Salim Malik said that international media had hatched a conspiracy against the Pakistani cricketers. He lamented over the fact that the PCB had not supported the players.

The former Test leg-spinner Abdul Qadir said that, in his view, the punishment for every "culprit" must be "even-handed". Abdul Qadir felt that it was not fair to impose a life-ban on one player and cash penalties on others.

"In case of match-fixing, I have a very strong feeling. No cricketer guilty of such an act, who defames the country internationally, be spared. He must be awarded the harshest punishment", said Abdul Qadir.

The former captain and PCB chief executive Majid Khan, on whose recommendation the judicial commission was formed, when contacted by Dawn late on Wednesday evening, said that he would give his comments on Thursday after studying the report. Justice Malik Abdul Qayyum, despite many attempts, could not be contacted at his residence on Wednesday evening.

"Judge Sahib is not home", was the reply one received from his house.

Test batsman Ijaz Ahmad said that he thanked Allah because his name had not been mentioned in the list of the cricketers who had been recommended for punishment. He said that the report had quashed the rumours that he had been "ousted" from the team for match-fixing.