Saleem Malik – ‘I feel vindicated’
FORMER Pakistan cricket ace Saleem Malik said he felt “vindicated” today after a court lifted a life ban imposed on him for match fixing.
Malik was banned in 2000 by the Pakistan Cricket Board after he was found guilty of trying to bribe Australian cricketers Mark Waugh and Shane Warne into losing the Karachi Test in 1994-5.
The 45-year-old has spent the last eight years trying to clear his name.
Despite losing his original appeal, the Supreme Court in May this year decided his appeal should be heard by a lower court which announced its ruling today.
“I have served cricket for 19 years and today I feel vindicated,” Malik said “Nothing can compensate the last eight years as I had to sever all contacts with cricket. But I am now definitely looking ahead to renewing my links with the game by starting my own cricket academy for youngsters and will soon begin the project.”
The PCB, who imposed the ban, said they would not be appealing against the new ruling.
PCB Legal advisor Tafazzul Rizvi told AP: “We will honour the decision of the sessions court and will not appeal against the ruling.
“The PCB did not impose the ban. We just implemented the recommendations of the inquiry tribunal.”
