Pakistan Super League: Batsman Shahzaib Hasan suspended for suspected spot-fixing

Pakistan batsman Shahzaib Hasan on Friday became the fourth player to be provisionally suspended and charge-sheeted relating to the spot-fixing scandal in the Pakistan Super League. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement that it had issued Shahzaib Hasan a Notice of Charge and provisionally suspended him with immediate effect from participating in all forms of cricket.

"Shahzaib has been charged with violations of Code Articles 2.1.4, 2.4.4 and 2.4.5 and now has 14 days to respond to the Notice of Charge," the statement said. 

Before Shahzaib, the PCB had already suspended current Pakistan team players -- Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Latif and Muhammad Irfan -- on similar charges. 

Shahzaib, who appeared in the World T20 Cup in England in 2009 and is known for his power hitting in domestic cricket, was questioned for long periods on Tuesday and Wednesday by the PCB anti-corruption unit officials and legal advisor in Lahore.

Sources revealed that Shahzaib admitted to the officials that he had been approached for spot fixing in matches by a caller but he failed to report the approach on time. Shahzaib has also claimed that he didn't report the matter earlier as an unknown caller had threatened him and his family to remain quiet. 

Interestingly, among the charges levelled against Shahzaib one is relating to trying to influence other players into spot-fixing. The PCB has already formed a three-member tribunal headed by a former judge Asghar Haider to probe into the charges against Sharjeel and Khalid. 

Both the players have denied doing any spot-fixing for the suspected bookmaker Yousuf Anwar and a yet to be named foreigner in Dubai but have admitted to not informing authorities when approaches were made to them to spot fix matches in the PSL. 

Similarly pace bowler Muhammad Irfan has also admitted getting offers and not informing the authorities and has also been provisionally suspended from all cricket and has been given 14-day to reply to the show cause notice issued to him, in which he has been charged with violation of some clauses of the ACU code. The statement said that PCB ACU's investigations into corrupt practices will continue.