PCB to accept Supreme Court verdict on Malik

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday said it will accept the Supreme Court's verdict on an appeal by former captain Salim Malik seeking the lifting of a life-ban imposed on him for alleged involvement in match fixing.
In fact, sources in the board said if Malik was cleared then the PCB would appeal on his behalf to the ICC for the removal of the ban.
Malik, who has been fighting a legal battle since the ban was imposed in 2000, approached the Supreme Court after his appeal was not entertained by the High Court.
"Whatever the decision of the Supreme Court, it would be final as long as we are concerned. We will accept their decision with open arms," Chief Operating Officer of PCB Shafqat Naghmi said.
Naghmi said their lawyer Tafazzul Rizvi would submit a proper draft on Malik's life ban to the court before May 19, when the appeal is scheduled to be heard.
"Malik was not banned by the board. The PCB only implemented the recommendation of the single-member inquiry tribunal," Rizvi said.
"So the board has not imposed the ban and the Supreme Court ruling will be final for us," he added.
The inquiry tribunal, headed by High Court judge Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum banned Malik and fined six others including Inzamam-ul-Haq, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Mushtaq Ahmed, Saeed Anwar and Akram Raza.
Australian players Shane Warne, Tim May and Mark Waugh had alleged that Malik offered them money to under-perform during their team's tour of Pakistan in 1994.
Last year the court asked for an explanation from the PCB on the law it had invoked to hand Malik a life ban.