The Pakistan Cricket Board reiterated that it would withdraw the life ban on former captain Salim Malik if the court rules in his favour.
The remarks came from the PCB's legal counsel at a hearing in a Lahore local court, where Malik has appealed against the life ban and fine recommended on him by the Justice Malik Qayyum match-fixing inquiry commission seven years ago.
PCB lawyer Tafazzul Rizvi made it clear that the Board had not imposed the life ban but only followed recommendations of the single member inquiry commission.
"A single-member inquiry commission, headed by an honourable judge of the high court, recommended these penalties which the PCB implemented. PCB did not impose any life ban by itself and that is the stance which we put forward in Supreme Court as well. Therefore, we will only follow orders from the court and abide by the final decision," Rizvi said.
Malik was banned from all form of cricket in 2001 after the inquiry commission found him guilty of involvement in match-fixing.
Since then the former captain has been appealing against the ban and fine and the Supreme Court, a few months back, ordered the lower court to hear and dispose off his appeal as soon as possible.
Advocate Khalid, who is representing Malik in the case, claimed that, as per his understanding, the Supreme Court has very clearly issued orders that there is no life ban on his client Salim Malik from the Pakistan Cricket Board.
"There is some financial penalty that we are fighting with the PCB and if they unilaterally withdraw that penalty, we will welcome that."
The civil court adjourned the hearing into Malik's life ban and fine until September 20.
In another development, the Lahore high court on Wednesday also adjourned other petitions against the PCB, including one by Director Special Projects Salim Altaf, who has lodged an appeal against his termination orders, until September 26.
Besides Altaf, four other senior officers dismissed by the Board recently have taken a stance in the previous hearing that they have been dismissed against the rules and regulations, as service rules of PCB are not applicable on them.
