Akram lodges appeal against fine

Pakistan all-rounder and former captain Wasim Akram lodged an appeal with the Pakistan Cricket Board against a fine imposed on him following a judicial inquiry into match-fixing allegations, his lawyer said on Saturday.

"We have given a reply to the show-cause notice issued by the PCB and have appealed against the fine," the lawyer, Khawaja Tariq Rahim, said.

The PCB issued show-cause notices to six top cricketers last week regarding penalties imposed against them in line with Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum's inquiry report on match-fixing.

Former captain Salim Malik and pace bowler Ataur Rehman were banned for life and fined one million rupees (20,000 dollars) while fines ranging between 100,000 and 500,000 rupees were imposed against Wasim, Waqar Younis, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Saeed Anwar, Mushtaq Ahmed and Akram Raza.

Wasim was fined 300,000 rupees and also censured for his alleged match-fixing role.

Justice Qayyum recommended the penalities in his report, after a year-long inquiry into match-fixing allegations in Pakistan cricket. The PCB implemented the penalties after making the report public in May this year.

"I hope the fine against Wasim will be withdrawn because he was exonerated by Justice Qayyum," the lawyer said.

Pacer Rehman had said in his testimony that Wasim offered him money to bowl badly in a one-day match in New Zealand in 1994 but later retracted his statement.

Rahim said his client did not hide anything during the inquiry.

Mail Cricket Editor