LAHORE: Pakistan’s anti-corruption tribunal Wednesday banned opener Sharjeel Khan for five years over a spot-fixing case that has rocked the Pakistan Super League, the latest scandal to taint the sport in the cricket-crazy country.
The 28-year-old dashing left-handed opener was provisionally suspended along with fellow opener Khalid Latif in February for violating the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) anti-corruption code.
The charges centred on a match between Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi in Dubai in February.
Off four balls, Sharjeel scored a single, failed to score off two deliveries and was then out.
Spot-fixing involves bets on the outcome of a particular passage of play, unlike match-fixing in which there is an attempt to prearrange the result.
Latif, who did not play in the game, was alleged to have orchestrated the deal.
Both were also charged for not reporting the matter to the PCB’s anti-corruption unit.
“Sharjeel is banned for five years, which has two-and-a-half years suspended,” said Asghat Haider, who headed the three-member tribunal.
“We investigated all the charges and found them correct.”
The minimum punishment for the charges was five years with a maximum of a life ban.
Former PCB head Tauqir Zia and erstwhile Pakistan captain Wasim Bari were the other members of the tribunal formed in March.
Under the PCB code players can appeal rulings before an independent arbitrator within 14 days of the decision.
Four other players — Mohammad Irfan, Shahzaib Hasan, Nasir Jamshed and Mohammad Nawaz — were also included in the investigation on multiple charges.
Irfan and Nawaz admitted not reporting the bookie’s offer. Irfan was banned for one year with six months suspended and fined one million rupees ($9,500). Nawaz was banned for two months (one suspended) and fined 200,0000 rupees.
The tribunal is expected to rule on Khalid Latif’s case next month.
Jamshed, who is being investigated by Britain’s National Crime Agency, was said to be the “go between” linking the players and the bookie.
His case and Hasan’s is still under investigation by the tribunal.
Pakistani cricketer Sharjeel banned for five years over spot-fixing
Pakistani cricketer Sharjeel banned for five years over spot-fixing
What We Are Reading Today: ‘Experiments of the Mind’
Author: EMILY MARTIN
Experimental cognitive psychology research is a hidden force in our online lives. We engage with it, often unknowingly, whenever we download a health app, complete a Facebook quiz, or rate our latest purchase.
How did experimental psychology come to play an outsized role in these developments? “Experiments of the Mind” considers this question through a look at cognitive psychology laboratories. Emily Martin traces how psychological research methods evolved, escaped the boundaries of the discipline, and infiltrated social media and our digital universe.
Race against time to rescue Brazil flood victims after dozens killed
- The rainfall eased Saturday night but was expected to continue for the next 24-36 hours, with authorities warning of landslides
PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil: Authorities were racing against time on Sunday to rescue people from raging floods and mudslides that have killed more than 50 and forced nearly 70,000 to flee their homes in southern Brazil.
Viewed from the air, Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul state, is completely flooded, with streets waterlogged and the roofs of some houses barely visible.
The Guaiba River, which flows through the city of 1.4 million people, reached a record high level of 5.09 meters, according to the local municipality, well above the historic peak of 4.76 meters that had stood as a record since devastating 1941 floods.
The water was still advancing into economically important Porto Alegre and around a hundred other localities, with increasingly dramatic consequences.
FASTFACT
The Guaiba River, which flows through the city of 1.4 million people, reached a record high level of 5.09 meters, according to the local municipality, well above the historic peak of 4.76 meters that had stood as a record since devastating 1941 floods.
In addition to some 70,000 residents forced from their homes, Brazil’s civil defense agency also said more than a million people lacked access to potable water amid the flooding, describing the damage as incalculable.
The agency put the death toll at 55, although that did not include two people killed in an explosion at a flooded gas station in Porto Alegre that was witnessed by an AFP journalist.
At least 74 people are also missing, it said.
Rosana Custodio, a 37-year-old nurse, fled her flooded Porto Alegre home with her husband and three children.
“During the night on Thursday the waters began to rise very quickly,” she told AFP via a WhatsApp message.
“In a hurry, we went out to look for a safer place. But we couldn’t walk … My husband put our two little ones in a kayak and rowed with a bamboo. My son and I swam to the end of the street,” she said.
Her family was safe but “we’ve lost everything we had.”
The rainfall eased Saturday night but was expected to continue for the next 24-36 hours, with authorities warning of landslides.
Authorities scrambled to evacuate swamped neighborhoods as rescue workers used four-wheel-drive vehicles — and even jet skis — to maneuver through waist-deep water in search of the stranded.
UK Labour official acknowledges electoral backlash over Gaza
- Analysis shows decline of nearly 18 percent in Labour vote in areas where over a fifth of the population are Muslim
LONDON: A senior Labour official on Sunday said the party has to recalibrate its campaigning strategy to win back voters opposing its position on Gaza, The Observer reported.
Pat McFadden, Labour’s national election coordinator, told the BBC program “Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg” that it would “work to get people’s support back,” and that the Middle East is a “high foreign policy priority” for the party.
Analysis has revealed that despite substantial gains in Thursday’s local elections in England, as well as Sadiq Khan securing a third term as mayor of London, there was a decline of nearly 18 percent in the Labour vote in areas of the country where over a fifth of the population identify as Muslim.
The analysis, conducted across 930 wards by Prof. Will Jennings from the University of Southampton, highlighted the extent of the protest vote against Labour leader Keir Starmer’s stance on Gaza, particularly his delay in calling for a ceasefire.
Ali Milani, chair of the Labour Muslim Network, voiced concern over the sense of betrayal within the Muslim community.
“We are now seeing the electoral consequence of that,” Milani told The Obsever. “If I was a Labour MP in Bradford or Birmingham or Leicester or parts of London or Manchester, I would be seriously concerned.”
Jennings said: “What this highlights is certainly that Labour is in an uncomfortable position on Gaza. And it is not just Muslim voters.
“But in a general election when we are looking at an anti-incumbent mood and there are fewer small parties and independents, we shouldn’t expect the pattern to be repeated.”
Labour MP Ellie Reeves said: “We have recognized the strength of feeling on this issue. We have called for an immediate ceasefire, we have also said there should absolutely be no ground offensive on Rafah.”
When questioned about Labour’s previous stance on the war, she told The Observer: “Keir Starmer has always been clear that our position would always respond to what is happening there.”
Saudi duo Alkhadrawi and Bu Shulyabi make history in Saudi Smash table tennis doubles event
- They beat countrymen Turki Almutairi and Khalid Almutairi in the last 32 clash on day two
RIYADH: The Saudi pair of Ali Alkhadrawi and Abdulaziz Bu Shulyabi made history on Sunday by becoming the first athletes from the Kingdom to reach the last 16 of a World Table Tennis-sanctioned tournament.
They beat countrymen Turki Almutairi and Khalid Almutairi in the last 32 clash on day two of the Saudi Smash event at King Abdullah Sports City.
The win for Alkhadrawi came hot on the heels of his singles win on day one, the first by a Saudi athlete in a professional table tennis competition.
Reflecting on the win, Bu Shulyabi said: “There are no words to explain what the experience was like with not one, not two, but three other Saudi players – not to mention the fans who were cheering us on from start to finish.”
He continued: “It was beyond incredible. In sports and all walks of life, moments that special and spectacular don’t happen often, to be a part of this chapter in history not just for table tennis in Saudi Arabia, but for sports as a whole, has instilled a level of pride that all four of us will feel forever.”
Having secured their passage to the next round as wildcard entrants, Alkhadrawi and Bu Shulyabi will face the ultimate test in pro table tennis in the next round when they come up again two of the top three players on the planet.
A win against China’s world number 1 Wang Chuqin and fellow Chinese sensation Ma Long – the world number 3 – would be career-defining and catapult both men to global superstardom.
“Opportunities like these are what we’ve been dreaming of and working towards for years – we can’t wait for the Round of 16,” Alkhadrawi said.
“Of course, it will be tough. They are the best in the world for a reason and players around the world aspire to reach their level. However, we will be giving it our best out there, we want to put on a great show for the Saudi fans and their support will be driving us on like always.”
Saudi, Bahraini public prosecutor meet in Manama
- Al-Mujeb highlighted the unwavering support the Kingdom's public prosecution receives from its leadership
RIYADH: Saudi Public Prosecutor Sheikh Saud bin Abdullah Al-Mujeb met with his Bahraini counterpart Ali bin Fadl Al Buainain in Manama, Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.
Al-Buainain welcomed Al-Mujeb and his accompanying delegation and expressed his delight at the visit, which he said signified the ongoing exchange of visits between the judicial bodies of the two nations and the sustained collaboration in combating transnational crime.
During the meeting, Al-Mujeb emphasized the deep-rooted historical ties between the Bahrain and the Kingdom and their continued advancement across various sectors, particularly in parliamentary cooperation and the exchange of information to ensure regional security.
He highlighted the unwavering support the Kingdom's public prosecution receives from its leadership, which he said enhanced the efficiency of its judicial processes.
