Pakistan tribunal lifts ban on Naved ul Hasan

LAHORE, Pakistan, Oct 9 (AFP) - A Pakistani appeals tribunal Saturday overturned a one-year ban and halved a two million rupee (24,000 dollar) fine imposed on all-rounder Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, a cricket board official said. The 32-year-old was one of seven players who were banned and fined by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in March this year for indiscipline, a month after Pakistan's winless tour of Australia.

"Naved's ban has been overturned and fine halved after the one-man tribunal comprising retired Judge Irfan Qadir heard his appeal," Talib Rizvi, legal advisor for Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), told AFP. Rizvi defended his decision. The "PCB has set an example and we hope that after this no player will cross the boundary set in the code of conduct," said Rizvi.

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

Former captains Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf were banned indefinitely, while Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal were given hefty fines. Another former captain, Shoaib Malik, was also banned for a year.