Lahore - The FIA has served notices on five cricketers over spot-fixing during the PSL-2, said an investigator on Thursday.
The FIA was investigating the charges on complaint of PCB Chief Operating Officer Subhan Ahmad. On Thursday, Minister for Interior Ch Nisar Ali Khan held a press conference in Islamabad and said that although PCB authorities were conducting departmental inquiry into the issue, yet they couldn’t register a case against cricketers. But FIA after thorough probe will register a case against those found guilty. The notices were issued to Khalid Latif, Sharjeel Khan, Shahzaib Hassan, Nasir Jamshed and M Irfan.
The FIA summoned them on March 20 and 21 to get their statements recorded. The sources in the FIA said that PCB authorities were using delaying tactics in providing record to the FIA investigators. “We have not received forensic record and cell phones of players from PCB authorities so far,” said an FIA officer on condition of anonymity.
The FIA had submitted an initial report on the PSL spot-fixing matter to the Interior Ministry, which highlighted measures adopted during the PSL games to redress the issue and also pointed out possibility of involvement of certain players, on which Nisar had directed the FIA to complete the investigation at the earliest.
The Minister has said that it is not a matter of personal act of few cricketers but such issues affect the country's reputation as well.
ISLAMABAD REPORTER ADDS: Chaudhry Nisar Ali Thursday said that the FIA would continue the PSL spot-fixing inquiry irrespective of the fact the PCB was reluctant to probe the case by the FIA. “The PCB can go ahead with its inquiry but the FIA would see this case with criminal aspects. This is a matter of reputation of Pakistan and such practice should stop now.”
Later, the interior ministry said in a statement that the FIA has issued the summons for cricketers including Sharjeel Khan, Nasir Jamshed, Khalid Latif and M Irfan in the spot-fixing case.