Asif Afridi suspended for alleged breaches of PCB's anti-corruption code

The PCB has suspended Asif Afridi under its anti-corruption code, after charging the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa left-arm spinner for two breaches including failing to report a corrupt approach. Asif had missed most of the ongoing National T20 Cup, and he cannot take part in any cricket-related activity until the conclusion of the case that is currently under the PCB's anti-corruption unit.

The PCB has not shared the specifics of the charges, but it has confirmed that Asif has been suspended with immediate effect, under article 4.7.1 of its constitution, 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 now has a maximum of 14 days to respond to the charges against him.

Asif, 35, played a solitary T20 game 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 only appearance, he scored one run off one ball and returned figures of 2 for 24 in his four overs.

Earlier this year, Asif had earned a call-up to the Pakistan side for the home series against Australia, but did not make the XI. He had been rewarded for an impressive PSL season during which he picked up eight wickets in five matches for Multan Sultans while returning an economy rate of 6.5, and was selected as cover for Mohammad Nawaz, who had missed a part of the PSL with an injury.

In the recent past, the PCB has been dealing with a number of cases of alleged 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.

In similar cases in the past, Mohammad Irfan served a six-month ban, while Nawaz was given a two-month suspension in 2017. Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif received bans for spot-fixing in the PSL while opening batter Shahzaib Hasan was also slapped with a ban after being deemed guilty of failing to disclose corrupt approaches.