LAHORE: Pakistan cricket’s anti-corruption tribunal Wednesday banned opener Khalid Latif for five years and fined him one million rupees ($9,489) over a spot-fixing case, the second casualty after teammate Sharjeel Khan was banned late last month.
“Latif is banned for five years and fined one million rupees after the proceedings of the case,” the three-member tribunal announced.
The 31-year-old has played five one-day internationals and 13 T20Is, the last of which was against the West Indies in Abu Dhabi in September 2016.
In August, Sharjeel was banned for five years, with two-and-a-half years suspended, for his role in the spot-fixing scandal.
Latif had been charged with breaching six clauses, including the serious offense of luring other players to take part in fixing.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) provisionally suspended Latif and Sharjeel after they found evidence of spot-fixing during a Pakistan Super League (PSL) match between Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi in Dubai in February.
The board said Sharjeel and Latif met an alleged bookie and struck a deal. Based on the plan, Sharjeel — an aggressive batsman who scores quickly — agreed to play two dot balls after the first over in the match.
Although Latif did not play in that game, he was later charged with luring Sharjeel into the deal and not reporting the matter to the PCB anti-corruption unit.
Spot-fixing involves bets on the outcome of a particular passage of play, unlike match-fixing in which there is an attempt to prearrange the result of the match.
Both players were suspended provisionally at the time and withdrawn from the PSL.
The minimum punishment for the charges which Latif faced was a six-month suspension with a maximum of a life ban.
Under the PCB code players can appeal rulings before an independent arbitrator within 14 days of the decision.
Four other players — Mohammad Irfan, Shahzaib Hasan, Nasir Jamshed and Mohammad Nawaz — were also included in the investigation on multiple charges.
Irfan and Nawaz admitted not reporting the bookie’s offer. Irfan was banned for one year with six months suspended and fined one million rupees. Nawaz was banned for two months, with one suspended, and fined 200,0000 rupees.
Both are now free to play, while the cases against Hasan and Jamshed are continuing.
Latif’s lawyer Badre Alam repeatedly raised objections during the proceedings, and also filed a petition in the Lahore high court against the tribunal. But the pleas were rejected by the court.
Alam, who like Latif did not attend the announcement, rejected the verdict.
“The short decision proves that the tribunal is not impartial,” Alam told media. “They had made up their mind to punish Latif. We will decide our plans only after the detailed judgment comes.”
Latif had shown tremendous promise at an early age but has failed to make an impact at international level.
Having made his first class debut at 15, he led Pakistan to victory at the Junior World Cup in Bangladesh in 2004.
But once drafted to the Pakistan side for a one-day match against Zimbabwe in 2008, Latif could not cement his place on the national team.
Last year he appeared to have become a regular player in the Twenty20 squad, having scored a rapid 59 not out against England last year.
But the latest punishement looks set to all but end a career which had only briefly taken off.
Cricket: Pakistan bans Latif for five years over spot-fixing
Cricket: Pakistan bans Latif for five years over spot-fixing
Verschoor storms to F2 victory as Weug claims historic win in F1 Academy in Jeddah
- The victory moves Verschoor into the lead of the F2 Drivers’ Championship
- With her victory, Weug also snatched a narrow lead at the top of the F1 Academy standings
JEDDAH: Richard Verschoor produced a masterclass in tire management and racecraft to win the Formula 2 feature race in Jeddah, fighting back from ninth on the grid to claim victory for MP Motorsport.
The Dutch driver rebounded impressively after heartbreak in Saturday’s Sprint Race, where he crossed the line first but was demoted to second by a five-second penalty for an earlier incident.
Determined to make amends, Verschoor ran the alternative strategy, starting on medium tires and extending his first stint deep into the race.
Despite his aging rubber, Verschoor consistently set fastest laps, showing blistering pace while others pitted early for fresher tires.
His strategy paid off, and after switching to supersofts, he rejoined the track just a few seconds behind leader Jak Crawford with four laps to go.
Once his tires were up to temperature, Verschoor rapidly hunted down the DAMS Lucas Oil driver, closing within DRS range and executing a clinical move into Turn 1 on the final lap to secure a stunning win.
The victory moves Verschoor into the lead of the Drivers’ Championship, with Josep Maria Marti — who finished fifth in the Feature Race — second overall and Leonardo Fornaroli third.
Earlier in the day, Maya Weug made history by becoming the first Ferrari driver to win an F1 Academy race in Jeddah, prevailing in a dramatic and incident-packed Race 2.
Starting from pole for the first time in the series, Chloe Chambers looked to have the race under control after a clean getaway, keeping ahead of a fierce scrap for second between Weug and Mercedes’ Doriane Pin. Amid soaring track temperatures, Weug showed relentless pace, reeling Chambers in and battling wheel-to-wheel for the lead by Lap 3.
Weug briefly seized the lead before being forced wide by Chambers, who was later handed a five-second penalty for the incident. That opened the door for an intense battle between Weug and Pin, with the two repeatedly exchanging P2 as Chambers tried to maintain her advantage.
Despite crossing the finish line first, Chambers’ time penalty demoted her to second, handing victory to Weug. Pin completed the podium for Mercedes.
The race saw further drama as Rafaela Ferreira was hit with a 10-second penalty for spinning Emma Felbermayr of Kick Sauber, dropping both out of the points contention.
Behind the front three, Alisha Palmowski secured fourth place, with Alba Larsen fifth and Aston Martin’s Tina Hausmann sixth. Alpine’s Nina Gademan finished seventh, while Ella Lloyd was promoted to eighth after Ferreira’s penalty. Joanne Ciconte and Chloe Chong rounded out the points-scoring positions.
With her victory, Weug also snatched a narrow lead at the top of the F1 Academy standings, setting up an intriguing battle for the rest of the season.
Kohli, Padikkal guide Bengaluru to revenge win over Punjab in IPL
- Bengaluru avenged their loss to Punjab at home on Friday and the two teams, both seeking their first IPL title, are level on points
CHANDIGARH: Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal hit half-centuries to steer Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a seven-wicket win over Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League on Sunday.
Chasing 158 for victory, Bengaluru were propelled by a 103-run second-wicket stand between Kohli, who made an unbeaten 73, and Padikkal to reach their target with seven balls to spare at Mullanpur, near Chandigarh.
Bengaluru avenged their loss to Punjab at home on Friday and the two teams, both seeking their first IPL title, are level on points.
The in-form Kohli, 36, struck his fourth half-ton of the season and surpassed Australia’s David Warner for the most 50-plus scores in the popular T20 tournament.
Kohli has now made it past the 50-mark 67 times, including eight centuries.
Left-handed Padikkal made 61 off 35 balls, his first fifty of the season, after Bengaluru lost opener Phil Salt in the first over to Arshdeep Singh.
Padikkal fell to Harpreet Brar, leaving Kohli to play the anchor in a 54-ball knock laced with seven fours and a six.
Bengaluru spinners Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma took two wickets each to set up victory as they helped restrict Punjab to 157-6.
Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh started aggressively in an opening stand of 42 before Pandya was introduced in the fifth over.
The left-arm spinner struck with his second ball to send back Arya for 22.
Pandya struck again in his next over to dismiss Prabhsimran, who hit 33 off 17 balls, and finished with figures of 2-25.
West Indies fast bowler Romario Shepherd, in his first Bengaluru outing this season, had skipper Shreyas Iyer out for six and Nehal Wadhera was run out soon after.
England’s Josh Inglis attempted to hit back, smashing 29 off 17 balls, but was bowled by leg-spinner Suyash.
Suyash hit the stumps again three balls later to remove Marcus Stoinis as Punjab slipped to 114-6.
Shashank Singh, who made 31, and Marco Jansen, who hit 25, put on an unbeaten stand of 43 to boost the total but it was not enough to challenge Bengaluru.
De Bruyne ‘surprised’ over Man City exit
- Kevin De Bruyne has revealed he was “a bit surprised” to be told his glittering Manchester City career will finish at the end of this season
LONDON: Kevin De Bruyne has revealed he was “a bit surprised” to be told his glittering Manchester City career will finish at the end of this season.
De Bruyne recently announced he will leave the Etihad Stadium once the current campaign is over, bringing the curtain down on a memorable era in Manchester for the Belgian midfielder.
The 33-year-old arrived from German club Wolfsburg in 2015 and has been instrumental in City’s incredible success during boss Pep Guardiola’s reign.
De Bruyne has won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five League Cups and the 2023 Champions League — which capped an incredible treble-winning season.
Guardiola hinted it was his decision to end De Bruyne’s stay after the playmaker’s struggles with injuries and inconsistent form over the last two seasons.
City have dipped dramatically this term, surrendering their four-year spell as champions and were reduced to focussing on the battle to qualify for the Champions League.
But De Bruyne admitted he was shocked not to receive a new contract offer because he believes he can still shine at the highest level.
“I have not had any offer the whole year, they just took a decision,” he said after City’s 2-0 win at Everton on Saturday.
“Obviously, I was a bit surprised but I just have to accept it. Honestly I still think I can perform at this level like I’m showing but I understand clubs have to make decisions.
“Maybe if the team didn’t struggle and I came back like I did this year and bedded in like normal then maybe they take another decision.”
De Bruyne said he has not made any decisions about his future as he is concentrating on the race to secure a top-five spot to extend City’s run in the Champions League into a 15th successive season.
He has already been linked with moves to Major League Soccer in the United States but he hasn’t ruled out staying in the Premier League or joining a major European club.
“I feel like I still have a lot to give. Obviously I know I’m not 25 any more but I still feel like I can do my job,” he said.
“I’m open for anything. I have to look at the whole picture. I’m looking at sporting, family, everything together, what makes the most sense for me and my family.
“I like to compete. That’s what I feel so I can’t say that I want to quit because I still feel that whenever I’m in training I want to beat the guys.
“I feel like I’m doing really well and that’s why I’ve also played a lot lately.”
De Bruyne applauded off at Goodison Park after Saturday’s win, with his performance a bright spot in another spluttering City display.
“It’s something really rare to come out and get an applause from another team so I just want to say thank you to them. I think they appreciate the way that I play,” he said.
Final heartbreak for Saudi Arabia against nine-man Uzbekistan
- Saudi Arabia began the tournament with a 2-0 win over China in the first round
TAIF: There was heartbreak for Saudi Arabia with a 2-0 loss to Uzbekistan in the final of the U17 Asian Cup on Sunday. The defeat at the King Fahd Sports City in Taif means that the 37-year wait for a third title goes on despite the fact that the victors had two men sent off in the first half.
Uzbekistan somehow regrouped to score twice in the second half to repeat their 2012 success for a second continental crown.
It was a tough road to the final for the hosts who needed penalties to get past Japan in the quarter-finals and then South Korea three days previously. Perhaps there was some fatigue against an Uzbekistan team that strolled past the United Arab Emirates and North Korea in the knockout stages.
That didn’t matter too much however as, five minutes before the end of a fairly even first half, Uzbekistan had a man sent off as Nurbek Sarsenbaev saw red for kicking out, while on the floor, at Adel Hibah.
Seconds before half-time and it got worse for the Central Asians as they lost another man. This time,a last-ditch tackle on Sabri Dahal was enough to get Miraziz Abdukarimov sent off.
It seemed at half-time as if Saudi Arabia were going through but incredibly, it didn’t take the Central Asians long to break the deadlock in the second half though it was perhaps a little harsh on the Saudi Arabians. The ball bounced up in the area and Yazeed Al-Dosari was adjudged, after a VAR intervention, to have handled and the referee eventually gave a penalty, much to the delight of the small contingent of Uzbekistan fans.
Up stepped Mukhammad Khakimov to fire home, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.
With the hosts pushing forward in search of an equaliser, the win was sealed with 20 minutes remaining and in fine fashion. Sadriddin Khasanov picked up possession just over the halfway line, skipped past Al Waleed Al-Awfi on the left, cut inside the area and then shot through the legs of Abdulrahman Al-Otaibi.
Saudi Arabia threw everything forward in an attempt to get back in the game but, in the end, were unable to find a way through a committed Uzbekistan defence.
There is some consolation for the hosts however, as they have the U17 World Cup to look forward to, later this year in Qatar.
