Latif boycotts spot-fixing hearing

Former Pakistan opener Khalid Latif yesterday boycotted the proceedings of a spot-fixing hearing after after a tribunal refused to give him a copy of his recorded interview.

The 31-year-old batsman stands accused of attempting to spot-fix, accepting an offer by a bookmaker which he did not report, and luring other players into the conspiracy. His case is currently being heard by a three-member tribunal convened to adjudicate on the scandal which emerged during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in the UAE in February and March.

Latif’s lawyer Badre Alam said he had rejected the tribunal because it refused to give his client a copy of his interview, recorded by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) anti-corruption tribunal in February.

“We have asked for the recording of Khalid’s interview which is our right but the tribunal has rejected it,” Alam told reporters. “Until that [interview is given] we will not continue the proceedings, we told them we are not running away but we are talking in legal terms.”

Legal standpoint

PCB lawyer Taffazul Rizvi said the tribunal could proceed even without Latif’s presence. “If a player or participant is not appearing before tribunal, from the start or from the middle, then the tribunal has complete right to listen the remaining case as per the law and give the decision,” he said.

The PCB said the video interview was conducted by its anti-corruption unit on February 19 and contains a confessional statement from Latif. The main charges against Latif are luring other players to participate in the fixing and not reporting the offers.