Wasim back at centre of match-fix storm
ALLEGATIONS of corruption in Pakistani cricket have been repeated by an official report this week, and three Test players, including Lancashire captain Wasim Akram, could be suspended pending further investigations
Charles Randall
29-Oct-2018
ALLEGATIONS of corruption in Pakistani cricket have been repeated
by an official report this week, and three Test players,
including Lancashire captain Wasim Akram, could be suspended
pending further investigations.
An inquiry for the Pakistan Board alleges that the influencing of
matches for betting has become widespread, and the three-man
panel, headed by Justice Chudhary Ejaz Yousuf, has recommended
that Wasim, Salim Malik and Ijaz Ahmed should not play Test
matches until final conclusions could be reached.
The interim report, based on interviews with current and former
players and a journalist, seems to back up claims first made by
three Australian players - Shane Warne, Tim May and Mark Waugh -
against Malik in 1994.
Wasim has consistently denied accusations of corruption, and he
said earlier this year: "I've earned good money playing top
cricket. I'm not going to lose my credibility for a few pennies."
Intikhab Alam, a former captain and coach, is quoted by the
report as saying he thought that match-fixing did take place.
Mohsin Khan, Pakistan's coach at the Commonwealth Games, said he
had refused offers of money "home and abroad" during his career
as an opening batsman.
"If all these allegations are correct, I would be the happiest
person if these people were punished," said Mohsin. "You don't
play cricket with Pakistan, you play for Pakistan. I was never a
witness of any of these culprits - if they are culprits - but
there were doubts, and like we say, where there is fire there is
smoke. If they are guilty, they should suffer.
"I was approached when I was playing, but I just told these
people to walk straight out of my room otherwise they would be
thrown out.
"The investigating committee should make sure twice over because
these players are among the best in international cricket. But if
they are guilty, we should say thank you very much, goodbye and
God bless you."
Potentially damning testimony was given to the inquiry by
Ata-ur-Rehman, the former Test fast bowler. He describes how a
one-day international against New Zealand in Christchurch in 1994
had allegedly been fixed when Malik was the captain.
The report, which was circulated at the Commonwealth Games in
Malaysia, says: "A day prior to the match, Wasim Akram contacted
him [Rehman] at about 8-9pm and inquired whether he would be
ready to take a purse of four lakh rupees [£5,600] for doing a
favour.
"On query, Akram disclosed to him that the match was fixed and
all arrangements were made by Ijaz Ahmed and Salim Malik. When
Pakistan took the field, Malik came to him and told him that
since he had agreed to the proposal, he would have to bowl
opposite to the field placements. Rehman stated that instructions
were accordingly carried out and Pakistan ultimately lost the
match.
"He further stated that in the Christchurch game all team
members, except Rashid Latif and Aamir Sohail, were party to the
betting and match-fixing business."
Sohail, the current Pakistan captain, told the committee he was
offered £75,000 to "get himself out before scoring 10 runs and
also to get Saeed Anwar run out in the same Sharjah match".
Anwar is quoted as saying he suspected the Singer Cup match
between Pakistan and Australia in Sri Lanka in 1994 was "fixed".
Aqib Javed, the Test seam bowler, told the committee that when he
turned down a bribe to lose a match it was implied he would not
be included in the team as long as Wasim was captain.
Others who gave evidence were Rameez Raja and Basit Ali, both
former Test players, and Fereshte Gati, a journalist.
The report says: "In order to complete the inquiry and in order
to draw final findings and opinion, the examination of players
accused of allegations including Akram, Malik, Ijaz, Moin Khan,
Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mushtaq Ahmed, Waqar Younis and Saqlain Mushtaq
would also be necessary and imperative."
Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)