Sharjeel Khan: Pakistan batsman banned for five years after spot-fixing inquiry

Sharjeel Khan has played one Test match, 25 one-day internationals and 15 Twenty20 internationals for Pakistan

Pakistan batsman Sharjeel Khan has been banned for five years for his part in a spot-fixing ring.

A Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) tribunal handed down the punishment following a hearing on Wednesday, but two and a half years of the ban is suspended.

The PCB has been conducting a long-running investigation into corruption in the Twenty20 Pakistan Super League.

Sharjeel, 28, has played one Test match, 25 one-day internationals and 15 Twenty20 internationals for Pakistan.

He will not be able to play domestic or international cricket for the next two and a half years, after which his return will be closely monitored, the tribunal said.

The full findings will be released at a later date.

Spot-fixing is where the outcome of a particular passage of play is pre-determined, as opposed to fixing the outcome of a match.

All-rounder Mohammad Nawaz and seamer Mohammad Irfan have already been sanctioned as part of the inquiry after they failed to report suspicious approaches.

A number of other players have also been questioned or suspended while the inquiry is carried out.

Britain's National Crime Agency provided the initial intelligence that led to the PCB investigation.