Naved to undergo appeal hearing today

KARACHI: Rana Navedul Hasan’s appeal against the one-year ban imposed on him by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will be heard today with the all-rounder in confident mood of a favourable decision from Irfan Qadir, the PCB-appointed one-man tribunal.

“I’m confident of getting the clearance as my lawyer has prepared a strong case against the ban,” Naved told The Express Tribune before adding that he will appear in the hearing wit his lawyer Imran Aziz Qureshi.

Naved was slapped with a one-year ban and fined Rs2 million by the board on the recommendation of the inquiry committee following Pakistan’s disastrous tour of Australia.

He said that charges against him were not serious compared to his teammates who have already been cleared and representing Pakistan.

The all-rounder was accused of underperforming in the only Twenty20 against Australia with the Committee questioning his body language in the match but Naved, who returned home during his county stint with Sussex for the hearing, dismissed the allegations.

“I never underperformed. I’ve always played for my country with my heart and for that reason I’m here from England to get my name cleared.”

All-rounder Shoaib Malik, Pakistan’s former captain who was alleged to be the mastermind behind the infighting and conspiracy against various captains, had received the same punishment as Naved but was subsequently cleared and is now part of Pakistan’s squad in the on-going Asia Cup in Sri Lanka..

“In view of the decisions given in the cases of other players, I, too, am expecting the same justice at the hearing,” added Naved while expecting a quick decision. “I want a quick decision as I want to clear my name from the allegations. I want to be eligible for team selection soon.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 19^th, 2010.