Livid Sarfraz Nawaz castigates PCB post PSL match-fixing row

Former fast bowler Sarfraz Nawaz has lashed out at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after cricketers Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif were found involved in a fresh match-fixing scandal.

Blaming the PCB for the same, the 68-year-old insisted that such kind of incidents could not be avoided in Pakistan cricket until the board keeps the tainted players around.

"Such kinds of incidents cannot be avoided in Pakistan cricket because the PCB loves to keep tainted players around," the Dawn quoted Nawaz as saying.

"Tainted persons like Wasim Akram, Dean Jones, Moin Khan, Shoaib Malik, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Basit Ali and many others are still working with the PCB in different capacities despite having tainted past and many of them had even been penalised by the judicial commission of Justice Malik Qayyum," he added.

Earlier, the PCB had suspended Sharjeel and Khalid under its Anti-Corruption Code as part of an ongoing investigation into an international syndicate which is believed to be attempting to corrupt the Pakistan Super League (PSL) being played in Dubai.

Both Sharjeel and Latif play for defending champions Islamabad United in the fledgling PSL, the second season of which began in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Thursday.

The former pacer alleged that not only the first match of this year's tournament between Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi was fixed, but also the second one between Lahore Qalandars and Quetta Gladiators.

Nawaz further went on to say that these players get the full support of their coaches as well as other officials for getting involved in spot-fixing.

Alleging that PSL chairman Najam Sethi had also been involved in many corrupt activities, Nawaz insisted that although the PCB wanted to conceal this scandal like many other previous scandals, however the pressure put in by the International Cricket Council (ICC) played a vital role in bringing it into public.

Sharjeel, who made his Test debut against Australia in Sydney last month, has played 25 ODIs and 15 T20s. Latif has represented Pakistan in five ODIs and 13 T20s.