JANSHER KHAN has been given a ban on the world circuit after pulling out of last month's Mahindra International squash tournament only three days before the Bombay event was due to start.
The eight-times world champion from Pakistan claimed "threats to his safety" were the reason for not competing in India, but the Professional Squash Association has not accepted the excuse, suspending him for a month and imposing a £1,000 fine.
"We treat this as a very serious issue," commented the PSA's executive director John Nimick. "Without the ability to guarantee to a PSA tournament the participation of duly entered players, the contract between events and players is significantly devalued."
Although the ban should have a negligible effect upon Jansher's ranking - there are no major events on the tour in the next month the zero points imposed on his record for his absence in Bombay has nearly cost him his World number one position for the first time in three-and-a-half years.
Jansher's points' average has been dragged down to 1007.8 - only 1.133 above that of Rodney Eyles who is thus within striking distance of becoming the first Australian to reach the top since Chris Dittmar briefly did it in July 1993, after Jansher had been given zero points for a late withdrawal from the French Open.
Jansher expects to return to League action in England later this season having been banned for the whole of last season after being found guilty of not trying in a British Superleague match in April 1995.
