Latif 'given bat grips by bookie' to indicate spot-fixing

Karachi [Pakistan], May 20 (ANI): The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has informed that it has seized the bat grips given to Khalid Latif by a bookie which the suspended Islamabad United opener was allegedly supposed to use to indicate he would indulge in spot-fixing during the second-edition of the Pakistan Super League. Confirming the news, PCB lawyer Taffazul Rizvi revealed that the bat grips that a bookmarker had given to Khalid were seized from his bag. "One [piece] of . evidence is that we seized the bat grips that [a] bookie had given and they were seized from Khalid's kit bag," the Express Tribune quoted Rizvi as saying. Rizvi added that Khalid had met the bookmaker twice but failed to report the meeting. The 31-year-old, whose case is currently being heard by a three-member tribunal, was accused of attempting to spot-fix, accepting an offer by a bookmaker which he did not report on time, and luring other players to take part in fixing. Earlier on March 6, a three-member tribunal was formed by the PCB to investigate the spot-fixing case allegedly involving Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif. The duo was suspended by the PCB under its Anti-Corruption Code, as part of an ongoing investigation into an international syndicate which was believed to corrupt the second edition of the PSL. Both the cricketers, who play for Islamabad United franchise in the PSL, formally recorded their statements on February 18 before the anti-corruption unit of the cricket board. Five other players, including Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Nasir Jamshed , Shahzaib Hasan and Mohammad Nawaz have also been suspended by the PCB. (ANI)