KARACHI – The Lahore High Court has summoned the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, the federal sports minister and seven cricketers on September 7 to hear a petition calling for the players to face treason charges.
Lawyer Ishtiaq Ahmed filed the petition in the High Court to initiate treason proceedings against players who are being investigated for alleged spot fixing on the current tour of England.
He said he wanted to see the players banned for life and their assets seized.
“I filed this petition because the players shamed the country and their millions of followers by getting embroiled in this spot-fixing controversy,” Ahmed told Reuters.
Senior PCB lawyer Talib Rizvi said that since the petition was based on allegations it was unlikely the court would make a quick decision.
“The players have still not been proven guilty of any wrong doing. The investigations are on, but the board will obviously defend itself,” he said.
Meanwhile, the England team believes the Pakistan players named in the betting probe that has engulfed the tourists should sit out the rest of the tour.
England are set to play Pakistan in two Twenty20 matches and five One-Dayers.
Professional Cricketers Association boss Angus Porter told the BBC the England team thought it “preferable” that those involved did not play.
Pakistan players Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif and Kamran Akmal have all been questioned by police, although Akmal is no longer under investigation.
May miss series
Porter said: “Speaking on behalf of the England team we can say we think it would be preferable if those individuals who are named do not play in the forthcoming series.”
Pakistan officials are understood to agree that the three players under investigation should miss the series.
International Cricket Council chief executive Haroon Lorgat also told the BBC the three players should play no further part until investigations were completed.
“It is our preference that they do not play,” Lorgat said.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Pakistan’s highest law enforcement agency, also despatched three of its investigators to London to join Scotland Yard officers in investigating the betting scam allegations. (Reuters/BBC Sport)
