Pak cricketer squeals more on team fixers

Fourth Pakistani cricketer, a leading Lankan player come under scanner

The dramatic turn of events happened even as a fourth Pakistani player came under Scotland Yard’s investigations into alleged spot-fixing by three cricketers—Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir—who have been suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for their suspected roles in the Lord’s Test against England.

The ICC said it would appoint an independent commissioner to look into the charges. And action would be taken on recommendations of the authority. ICC President Sharad Pawar in New York said the governing body has not yet punished any of the three Pakistan players allegedly involved in spot-fixing and the trio have an opportunity to put their side of the story.

But even before the dust could settle over the suspension of the tainted trio, the British tabloid, “News of the World”, came out with more explosive revelations involving Hameed who, after denying making allegations against his former teammates, was summoned by Pakistan’s High Commissioner in London, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt.

Envoy’s advice

Following his meeting with Hasan and Butt in the afternoon, sources close to the batsman said the High Commission and PCB wanted to see what legal steps Yasir could take to seek damages against “News of the World.”

While the tabloid gave startling details of the conversations and the modus operandi of the bookies, the report about a Sri Lankan player being investigated by the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit added to the crisis the game is faced with.

Hameed told the tabloid that he had been asked by a bookmaker to help fix a Test for £100,000, but he turned down the money and said his teammates were fixing almost every match.

“They’ve been caught. Only the ones that get caught are branded crooks. They were doing it (fixing) in almost every match. God knows what they were up to. Scotland Yard was after them for ages,” Hameed was quoted as saying in the sting interview which was released by the tabloid.

But within a few hours after the video of the interview was released, Hameed denied having given any such interview, saying he could never think of accusing his teammates of fixing matches. “I have told the team management that the newspaper is claiming that I have given them an interview. This is not correct. I deny it,” he said.

Pakistan has all along maintained that its players were innocent and the entire episode was a conspiracy to alienate the country which has not hosted any international cricket since last year’s Lahore terror attack on the Sri Lankan team. Hasan has called the suspension of its players unethical and threatened to sue the ICC if the trio are eventually found innocent.

The tabloid also revealed how the ICC was now probing a fourth Pakistan touring player over “match-rigging claims”. The newspaper did not name the player for legal reasons.
There are reports that wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal, who was suspected of match-fixing during the Sydney Test loss against Australia earlier this year, has been contacted by the ICC but it is not known whether it is related to the latest episode.

Pointing out that the ICC has yet to punish the trio, Pawar said: “We have to send a notice to that particular player but that notice is not a final decision. It is a means of giving him (player) an opportunity to explain his position.” Explaining that the suspension “was not an action,” Pawar said “this is a sort of notice to them and an opportunity to explain. If he is not guilty then certainly he has the right to put his views.”

Claiming that Hameed had provided a “devastating insight into the shady world of betting scams,” “News of the World” said he refused bribes of up to £150,000 from a corrupt bookmaker to throw matches.

Hameed claimed he lost his place in the team because of this refusal, while his corrupt colleagues reportedly splashed money on plush properties and expensive sports cars. He spoke to the tabloid’s undercover reporter in a Nottingham hotel.

Hameed said Asif, who has played around 50 matches, has built four mansions. “Where did they come from? He has just built a house in Italian style in Lahore. You go there and you will think you are in Italy—that’s how good his house is.”

Since he would not get involved in all these, Hameed claimed: “That’s why I was out of the team for two years—two years! Now, god has punished them. I played in the (Lord’s) match. Even though I flopped, these guys have been caught out.” Claiming that other matches might have been thrown, Hameed said “the ICC Champions Trophy, Rose Bowl, we lost a match against the West Indies, do you remember?”

 The match in question was a semi-final in 2004 at The Rose Bowl in Southampton. The West Indies won by seven wickets despite posting just 132 runs after Pakistan was bundled out for 131.