LAHORE: Five Pakistani players have been fined for appearing in exhibition matches in the United States alongside banned spinner Danish Kaneria (pictured), the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said yesterday.
The five, Fawad Alam, Wahab Riaz, Abdul Razzaq, Nasir Jamshed and Shazaib Hasan were each fined 500,000 rupees ($5,000 dollars), a PCB statement confirmed.
“After thorough investigations and after players admitting that they had participated in an event that under the ICC Regulations is considered Disapproved Cricket, their contention of not being aware of the NOC requirement was not accepted by the Committee, which recommended that each of them should be fined Rs.500, 000,” the PCB release said.
The five offenders featured in an unauthorised series of Twenty20 matches in Houston, Texas, last month without the permission of PCB. Kaneria was banned for life in 2012 for spot-fixing in a county game in England, which under International Cricket Council (ICC) rules effectively bars him from playing anywhere in the world.
Kaneria played for Houston Eagles while the Pakistani players were playing for rival team Boom Boom Blasters.
The PCB investigated the matter and interviewed the players last month, when a three-member committee recommended the fines.
The committee, however, cleared PCB marketting director Badar Rafae of any wrongdoing but with a reprimand.
Rafae was pictured with Kaneria during these matches.
“As for the Director Marketing, the Committee concluded that he was neither involved in the organization nor inviting players for the event.
He just briefly attended one match only on invitation of the organisers.
Alam appeared for Pakistan in the Asia Cup in Bangladesh in February-March.
“His subsequent photograph with Kaneria was a case of poor judgement, there was nothing to suggest that he conducted himself in any inappropriate manner.
AFP
