No relief for Saleem Malik as adjudicator deems NOC request 'unnatural'

An independent adjudicator on Monday disposed off former cricketer Saleem Malik's petition, ruling that his bid to secure a No Objection Certificate from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was "unnatural" and "cannot be granted".

Malik had petitioned that the PCB, on the basis of him having his named cleared from a local court in a decades-old betting scandal, should also clear him of any wrongdoing.

READ: Will sue anyone who calls me a match-fixer: Saleem Malik

"The appellant (Saleem Malik) is seeking a Clearance Certificate from PCB to the effect that he is not involved in any kind of match-fixing or betting," former Lahore High Court Judge, Justice (retd) Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan is quoted as having ruled in a PCB press release. "This prayer for issuance of NOC from PCB (the employer) is unnatural.

"The appellant had to show his good character independent of PCB. He cannot ask PCB to issue NOC for providing him a job or grant him permission."

The PCB and the International Cricket Council (ICC) have long asked Malik to explain the purpose of a suspicious meeting with some shady elements.

The adjudicator, in the verdict, told the PCB that it cannot hold against Malik the transcript of the said meeting "without verifying it against original tapes".

Malik's gripe stems from him not being considered for the batting coach's position. The adjudicator instructed the Board to "decide on the application either way", perhaps for the sake of clarity.

READ: Saleem Malik vs Rashid Latif: Shoaib Akhtar plays the peacemaker

Comments

Submit