Pakistan cricket authorities said on Wednesday that seven players banned or fined for indiscipline during a disastrous tour of Australia have 30 days to appeal.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) last week banned former captains Mohammad Yousuf and Younus Khan indefinitely, while suspending another former captain, Shoaib Malik, and fast bowler Rana Naved-ul Hasan for one year.
It handed heavy fines to wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal, his brother Umar and Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi.
A six-member committee headed by PCB chief operating officer Wasim Bari was set up to investigate Pakistan’s dismal performance on the December-February tour, where Pakistan lost all three Tests, five one-day and a Twenty20 match.
Bari said: “We have sent all the seven players letters in which we have mentioned the reasons for their punishments and the players can now appeal under the PCB constitution,” Bari told Agence-France Presse. They can file appeals within 30 days, he said.
“We held a thorough inquiry and took into consideration all the facts and background and made decisions to solve the problems in Pakistan cricket,” said Bari, who is also a former captain.
PCB legal adviser Taffazul Rizvi said three judges have been named to hear the appeals.
“The PCB governing board has appointed two retired Supreme court judges — Muneer Sheikh and Jamshed Ali Shah — and a former high court judge, Irfan Qadir, who will deal with appeals,” Rizvi told AFP.
None of the players has spoken publicly about their punishment or indicated they will appeal.
Afridi is a strong contender to lead Pakistan in the next month’s World Twenty20 in the West Indies, while the Akmals were included in the 18-man squad announced last week.
Pakistan, due to defend the Twenty20 title they won in England last year, are due to announce a captain next week. — AFP