Dubai: The ICC on Sunday provisionally suspended UAE cricketers Amir Hayat and Ashfaq Ahmed on match fixing charges.

The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) had suspended opener Ashfaq during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Qualifier in October last year but no formal charges were laid as it waited for investigations to get over.

The 38-year-old Hayat, a medium pacer has played 9 ODIs and 4 T20Is while 35-year-old Ashfaq has represented the country in 16 ODIs and 12 T20Is.

"The players have 14 days from 13 September to respond to the charges. The ICC will not make any further comment in respect of these charges at this stage," ICC said in a release.

Amir and Ashfaq have been charged under article 2.1.3 and four other from 2.4.2 to 2.4.5 of ICC's anti-corruption code.

The article 2.1.3 is specific to match fixing. It states, "Seeking, accepting, offering or agreeing to accept any bribe or other Reward to: (a) fix or to contrive in any way or otherwise to influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any International Match; or

"(b) ensure for Betting or other corrupt purposes the occurrence of a particular incident in an International Match."

The other four breaches (2.4.2 to 2.4.5) are specific to non-disclosure of corrupt approach to the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU).

The non-disclosure violation ranges from delay in intimation, intentionally accepting gifts or benefits which is higher than USD 750 which can include personal gifts, hospitality and cricket specific hospitality.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



ISLAMABAD: At least two more cases of poliovirus were reported in Pakistan, taking the number of infections to 52 so far this year, a report said on Friday.

“The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of two more wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases in Pakistan," an official statement said.

The fresh infections — a boy and a girl — were reported from the Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.

“Genetic sequencing of the samples collected from the children is underway," the statement read. Dera Ismail Khan, one of the seven polio-endemic districts of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has reported five polio cases so far this year.

Of the 52 cases in the country this year, 24 are from Balochistan, 13 from Sindh, 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.

There is no cure for polio. Only multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five can keep them protected.