PCB lifts ban on Rana Naved

LAHORE - The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has lifted the one-year ban imposed on all-rounder Rana Navedul Hasan.

“Naved’s ban has been overturned and fine halved after the one-man tribunal comprising retired Judge Irfan Qadir heard his appeal,” the Daily Times quoted Talib Rizvi, legal advisor for the PCB, as saying.

The 32-year-old was one of the seven players banned and fined by the PCB for indiscipline in March this year, a month after Pakistan’s winless tour of Australia.

Rizvi defended the decision, saying, “The PCB has set an example, and we hope that after this, no player will cross the boundary set in the code of conduct.”

Naved was accused of under-performing in the only Twenty20 match at Melbourne, where he scored just one run off nine balls in his team’s two-run defeat.

The all-rounder was delighted at the decision in his favour. “I am happy and loads of burden is now off my shoulders,” Naved said.

“I am ready to play in the domestic Twenty20 event starting from Sunday and hope that I am fit enough and perform to break into the national team again. I am confident that if I perform well at domestic level I will play in next year’s World Cup, which has been my goal,” he added.

Naved has so far played nine Tests, 74 one-day and four Twenty20 internationals for Pakistan. (ANI)