Afridi claims innocence
Shahid Afridi has filed an official appeal against the 3 million rupees fine imposed on him by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for tampering with the ball in an ODI against Australia in Perth this January. Afridi becomes the fourth player of the seven who were punished by the board following the tour to Australia to lodge an appeal.
"Shahid Afridi has lodged an official appeal against his punishment and it will now be sent to the governing board, who will then send it to one of the independent arbitrators appointed to handle this case," the PCB's legal advisor Taffazul Rizvi told Cricinfo.
Rizvi clarified that the appeal process doesn't in this case employ an appellate tribunal, but that under the PCB constitution, any such appeal goes first to the governing board, which then sends it to one of a list of independent arbitrators appointed by the PCB. In this case the arbitrators are two retired supreme court judges -- Muneer Sheikh and Jamshed Ali Shah -- and a former high court judge, Irfan Qadir.
It is believed Afridi appealed on the basis that he cannot be punished twice for the same offence. After he was caught on cameras, bizarrely biting the ball in an attempt to tamper with it, the ICC immediately banned him from two internationals, which meant he missed Pakistan's two subsequent Twenty20 matches. As he was captain in the Perth ODI, an inquiry committee set up to investigate Pakistan's losses in Australia decided to fine him for bringing the name of the country into disrepute.
The Akmal brothers and Navedul Hasan were the others who also filed official appeals. Kamran and Umar Akmal were fined Rs 3 million and Rs 2 million for incidents and statements they made leading up to the third Test in Hobart, while Rana was banned from playing for Pakistan for a year on undisclosed charges.
Of the remaining three, Mohammad Yousuf, who received an indefinite ban announced his retirement from the international game. Younus Khan, who also received an indefinite ban, has not yet filed an appeal though his lawyer indicated publicly that he may take the matter straight to court. Officials within the board believe, however, that an appeal will be filed within the deadline set by the board when announcing the punishments; April 16, a month after the punishments were officially communicated to the players.
Shoaib Malik, like Rana, was banned for a year from playing for Pakistan and his appeal is also expected to be filed in the next day or so. The board received a letter from his counsel indicating that an official appeal is on its way. Malik is currently in India where he has just married Indian tennis star Sania Mirza.
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