Suspension period ends for Mohammad Irfan, to be in frame for Sri Lanka series

Pakistani pacer Mohammad Irfan has served his suspension period of 6 months and is now back in contention to be selected in the national side. Irfan was suspended for a year by the Pakistan Cricket Board for his alleged connections to the infamous spot fixing scandal of the Pakistan Super League earlier this year. Just after two days of the commencement of the PSL, the tournament came under the scanner for being fixed.

The names of cricketers Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif were the first ones to be linked in the spot fixing scandal. Later, the other names sprung up in the list too. This included the name of the promising tall fast bowler Mohammad Irfan. After a series of investigations, it was found out that Irfan did not commit to the spot fixing demands. Hence, he was allowed to participate in the remainder of the tournament.

However, he was later banned for a period of one year by the PCB for having known about the spot fixing story and yet not informing the board about it. The initial suspension period was of one year. However, it was noted that the suspension period could be reduced to 6 months if he adheres to the suspension guidelines. The 35-year old pacer managed to do so and hence got his term reduced to six months.

Tough times

In addition to the suspension, Mohammad Irfan was also handed a hefty fine of Rs. 1000000. Now that the suspension has been served, Irfan is back in the frame for selection. With the Sri Lanka series coming up next week, Irfan will have his eyes set on the series for his international comeback. Meanwhile, he spoke to the Express Tribune about the recent times. He mentioned that the last six months have been the toughest of his life.

“As a cricketer, knowing that you cannot play cricket hurts badly. When a player is banned from doing something he has done all his life, it really hurts,” mentioned Mohammad Irfan as per the quotes in the Express Tribune.