The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has slapped a fine of Rs3,000 each on six cricketers who were found guilty of ball tampering during the ongoing Ramadan Cup one-day cricket tournament. The players are: Naved Latif, Qaiser Abbas, Yasir Arafat, Sajid Shah, Zahid Saeed and Rao Iftikhar Anjum.

The cash penalty was imposed on the recommendation of match referee Anwar Khan. "There is no doubt in my mind that these cricketers have tampered with the ball," Anwar said on Monday in his official report to the PCB.

Zakir Khan, general manager cricket operations, said: "The PCB has let off these players with token fines considering the fact that it was their first mistake. But it has been made very clear to these players that they would not be pardoned in future.

"Any player found guilty might be debarred from the entire season or may be banned for certain number of matches. The boys have been handed over warning letters and copies have also been dispatched to their employers and associations.

"The match referees have been told to keep a close vigil on them in the coming PCB organized tournaments," Zakir Khan said.

The 25-team Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, the first-class competition, will commence December 21.

"If we have to clean the menace of ball tampering from our domestic cricket, we have to come down hard on the culprit cricketers. And this (penalty) is just the beginning," Zakir said.

Law 42.3b states it is "unfair for anyone to rub the ball on the ground for any reason, or interfere with any of the seams or the surface of the ball."

It is also illegal to "use any implement, or take any other action whatsoever which is likely to alter the condition of the ball."

Samiul Hasan
GM Media
November 26, 2002

© PCB