Sharjeel appears before PCB tribunal, Latif's hearing postponed

Sharjeel Khan appeared before a three-man tribunal set up to hear the alleged corruption charges laid against him, on Friday. Khalid Latif, his team-mate for Pakistan and Islamabad United and similarly implicated, did not appear, however. He cited health reasons, forcing the postponement of his hearing by a week on the condition that no future adjournment would be granted.

Sharjeel and his lawyer agreed to the timelines to be adopted under the PCB's Anti-Corruption Code, with the formal hearing set for May 15 in Lahore. He was given a deadline of May 5 to respond to the alleged code-of-conduct breaches he and Latif were accused of during the PSL. The PCB said in a release that it "may, at its discretion, file a rebuttal by May 10".

The tribunal extended Latif's date, asking him to appear on March 31 to chalk out a timeline for the formal hearing. "He made an application for adjournment via email to the Chairman of the Tribunal citing health reasons and requesting that proceedings be adjourned to next week," a PCB statement said. "In the interest of justice the request is allowed and the proceedings in respect of Khalid are adjourned to 11:30am on 31st March 2017. Notice would also be issued with a stipulation that no further adjournment would be granted."

The tribunal, comprising Justice (retired) Asghar Haider (head of the tribunal), former PCB chairman Tauqir Zia and former wicketkeeper Wasim Bari, met at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore. "The Tribunal in consultation with both parties agreed upon the procedure and timelines to be adopted under the Anti-Corruption Code," the PCB said. "PCB shall submit its opening brief detailing its claims along with the evidence to be relied on by 14th April 2017."

It is understood that Nasir Jamshed, who was arrested in the UK in relation to the same case, was in touch with both Latif and Sharjeel during the PSL. The PCB, as part of its prosecution, will send two officials to travel to the UK to question Jamshed.

"This time period (until April 14) has been agreed in order to give the PCB ACU an opportunity to travel to UK to interview Nasir Jamshed and meet with relevant UK authorities and determine if any of its findings are to be incorporated in the prosecution," PCB's release stated.

Sharjeel and Latif were provisionally suspended last month under the PCB's Anti-Corruption Code as part of an investigation into an organisation's alleged attempts to corrupt the second season of the PSL. Both players had denied some of the alleged breaches they were accused of but admitted to at least one of the more minor charges.