PCB revokes central contracts for Sharjeel, Latif

The Pakistan Cricket Board on Saturday (February 11) revoked the central contracts of Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif following their provisional suspension due to spot-fixing charges in the Pakistan Super League.

Both Sharjeel and Latif were placed in “C” category in the central contracts announced in October last year, and were receiving 135,000 rupess ($US 1350) per month, besides getting match fees.

Sharjeel was due to get a promotion in the next list of central contracts, and since he had made his Test debut in Sydney in January, he was favoured to get into the “A” category.

Sharjeel’s contract with Leicestershire to play in the Twenty20 Blast next year is also certain to be revoked, while he looks set to also lose the lucrative contract he was also offered with the Caribbean Premier League.

Sharjeel and Latif were suspended from PSL in dramatic circumstances on Friday evening and sent back home, after being accused of spot-fixing. Both men were part of the Islamabad United franchise, the defending champions. Wisden India had broken the news of their suspension and learnt that both players have confessed to being approached by members of a betting syndicate at the conclusion of Thursday night’s game, though they didn’t voluntarily report the approaches.

Amid speculation that more names could emerge, Najam Sethi, the chairman of the PSL, had told Wisden India that anyone found guilty of corruption would not be spared: “We have zero tolerance on corruption so no one involved in any corrupt activity will not be spared.”