Rashid Latif urges PCB to relieve Salim Malik from life ban for match fixing

Karachi: Former Pakistani captain Rashid Latif has urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to `relieve` former teammate Salim Malik from a life ban imposed 14 years ago for match-fixing.

Latif, known for his fight against corruption in cricket, was the first to blow the whistle on match fixing on Pakistan's tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe in 1995, accusing Malik and other team-mates of wrongdoing.

According to The Dawn, Latif believes Malik should be given relief from his ban as he is not playing or coaching cricket and has served 14 years of his punishment, adding that if other players fined by the Qayyum commission can do cricket-related jobs in private leagues and with cricket boards, Malik also deserves the same.

The report mentioned that Shane Warne, Tim May and Mark Waugh revealed that Malik had offered them bribes to under-perform in matches on Australia's tour to Pakistan in 1994, prompting a judicial inquiry in Pakistan, which banned Malik and paceman Ataur Rehman for life after a two-years investigation.

The commission also fined six leading players Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Saeed Anwar, Mushtaq Ahmed, Inzamamul Haq and Akram Raza, the report added.