ISL spot-fixing: Sharjeel Khan will be acquitted, says lawyer

Karachi: The lawyer representing Pakistan's suspended opener, Sharjeel Khan in the PSL spot-fixing case is confident his client will be acquitted by the three-man anti- corruption tribunal which will give its verdict next month.

Even as former stalwarts, Javed Miandad and Mohsin Hasan Khan called for a life ban on any player (s) found guilty of fixing, Shegan Ejaz said that at the worst he saw the tribunal imposing the minimum of six months ban on Sharjeel.

The hearings of the case of spot-fixing in the PSL against test opener, Sharjeel concluded last week and after both parties submit their final written replies by July 29th the tribunal will announce a verdict in 30-days time.

Ejaz said the PCB had filed five charges against Sharjeel including that of spot-fixing and he had done his best to defend his client against them.

"At the worst, the tribunal could impose a six-month ban on him for not reporting offers made to him on time," he said.

He also said that Andrew Ephgrave, the operations manager of the national crime agency of UK, had appeared as a witness through skype but gave no proof against Sharjeel in his statement.

But Pakistan's former captain, Javed Miandad and former test opener and ex-chief selector/coach, Mohsin Khan said it was time the PCB showed no leniency towards cricketers who are involved in fixing and corruption.

"I think the board now needs to make an example of such players. This menace has damaged our cricket a lot and it is the time such players are given severe punishment," Miandad said.

The veteran of 124 tests said in his dictionary anyone who played without the dignity and honor of the country deserved no mercy.

Mohsin said if the board had not shown leniency towards guilty players in the past Pakistan would not have had to face the embarrassment of the PSL spot fixing scandal.

"If they had implemented the recommendations of the Justice Malik Qayyum report back in 2000 we would not have had the 2010 spot-fixing scandal involving Salman Butt, Muhammad Aamir, and Muhammad Asif nor this PSL issue," he added.

Mohsin said he would like to see such guilty players banned for life and banished from Pakistan cricket.