Pakistan's Sharjeel Khan Returns To T20I Squad After A 4 Year Fixing Ban

Cricket Image for Pakistan's Sharjeel Khan Returns To T20I Squad After A 4 Year Fixing Ban (Sharjeel Khan (Image Source: Google))

Disgraced opener Sharjeel Khan has returned to Pakistan's Twenty20 squad for the away series against South Africa and Zimbabwe, four years after being banned for spot-fixing during matches.

The 31-year-old was banned for five years -- with half the period suspended -- for his part in a gambling fix during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in 2017.

Although illegal in Pakistan and India, gambling on cricket is widespread, with punters betting on specific outcomes during the game -- such as the number of no-balls or wides bowled in a particular over.

This gives individual players the opportunity to "spot-fix" -- influencing the lucrative betting market without, supposedly, affecting the overall outcome of the match.

Regarded as a top T20 batsman, Sharjeel hit a hundred in the PSL's sixth edition, which was suspended earlier this month after a Covid outbreak among players.

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