Malik to challenge ban in court: lawyer

A lawyer for former Pakistan cricket captain Salim Malik said on Thursday the life ban against the player was not legally imposed and his client is ready to challenge it.

"To the best of my knowledge Malik is not in receipt of any order of the Pakistan Cricket Board imposing on him the punishment recommended in Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum's report," lawyer Shahid Hamid said.

"PCB served a show cause notice on Malik asking him why recommendations of Justice Qayyum be not imposed, and Malik has given a detailed reply and gave reasons why the punishments be not imposed," he said.

PCB made public Justice Qayyum's report into allegations of match-fixing in May last year in which Malik and pacer Ataur Rehman were banned for life and fined one million rupees each.

Wasim Akram, Saeed Anwar, Waqar Younis, Mushtaq Ahmad, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Akram Raza were each fined between 100,000 to 300,000 rupees following recommendations.

PCB has said the recommendations were implemented immediately.

"The legal process is not followed, Malik has given a comprehensive reply," Hamid said.

PCB chairman General Tauqir Zia told reporters on Tuesday that Malik's reply to the notice had been rejected by the PCB and should be presented to a court of law.

Mail Cricket Editor