Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has indefinitely suspended left-arm spinner Asif Afridi for breach of the Anti-Corruption Code under Article 4.7.1.
According to the governing body of cricket in Pakistan, the suspension is immediate and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cricketer cannot participate in any cricketing-related activities until a full and thorough investigation has been carried out by PCB’s Anti-Corruption Unit.
Asif Afridi has today been issued a Notice of Charge for two breaches under Article 2.4 of the Code and has fourteen (14) days to respond to the charges.
The board also excused itself from announcing further details about the case due to its nature of being an ongoing investigation. The PCB suspension comes as a big blow for Asif Afridi whose name was starting to get some traction for selection in the national team courtesy of his performances for Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League.
If found guilty of the charges, a hefty suspension and fine could be in the offing for the 35-year-old bringing an end to his career in ignominy.
*Article 4.7.1 reads as: Where either (a) the PCB decides to charge a Participant with an offence under this Anti-Corruption Code; or (b) the PCB considers that there are other exceptional circumstances relevant to a Participant (for example, where any relevant police authority has arrested and/or charged a Participant with an offence under any relevant criminal law in respect of facts or circumstances that may also constitute an offence under this Anti-Corruption Code), it, shall have the discretion, in circumstances where it considers that the integrity of the sport could otherwise be seriously undermined, to Provisionally Suspend the Participant pending the Anti-Corruption Tribunal‟s determination of whether he/she has committed an offence. Any decision to Provisionally Suspend the Participant will be communicated to the Participant in writing, with a copy sent at the same time to the ICC and, where applicable, the National Cricket Federation to which the Participant is affiliated.
