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Pakistan bowler Irfan banned for a year

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Pakistan Cricket Board on Wednesday suspended Mohammad Irfan for a year and also fined the tall fast bowler one million rupees ($9,500) for violating the sport's anti-corruption code during the Pakistan Super League.

The PCB's anti-corruption unit chief Mohammad Azam said Irfan admitted he was twice approached by bookmakers during the PSL, but didn't inform anti-corruption officials in time about the aproach.

Azam said Irfan's suspension could be reduced to six months if he doesn't further violate the anti-corruption code and also helps in the ongoing inquiry into alleged spot-fixing in the PSL.

Irfan's suspension begins from March 14, when the PCB provisionally suspended the fast bowler and asked him to reply to cricket board's notice of charge.

"I was twice approached," Irfan told reporters in the eastern city of Lahore, but he maintained he did nothing wrong.

"It was my mistake that I didn't inform (the ACU officials) about the approaches in time. I admit my mistake and for that I apologize to the whole nation."

On March 23, Irfan approached the PCB and admitted the charges levelled against him by the cricket board. He also appeared twice before the PCB's vigilance and security department before he was suspended on Wednesday.

Irfan made his international debut in 2010 when he played a one-day international against England. Although he has played only four test matches over the last seven years, he has taken 83 wickets in 60 ODIs and 15 wickets in 20 Twenty20 internationals.

The PCB has also provisionally suspended four other cricketers, Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Latif, Shahzaib Hasan and Nasir Jamshed for alleged involvement in spot-fixing during the PSL.

Sharjeel and Latif will be contesting their cases at a tribunal while Jamshed is in Britain. Hasan is yet to respond to the charges.

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