OWN CORRESPONDENT, Karachi | Tuesday 6.00pm.
THE Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) rejected match-fixing allegations on Tuesday from South African cricket chief Ali Bacher and said it would not reopen a corruption probe unless he provided evidence to back his claims.
”No inquiry will be conducted until Ali Bacher promises to us to provide evidence to substantiate his allegations, PCB Chairman Tauqir Zia said.
On Monday, Bacher testified at a government inquiry in Cape Town that Pakistan’s former test batsman Majid Khan told him more than two years ago there was widespread match-fixing in Pakistan.
He said Majid had told him Pakistan’s matches with India and Bangladesh at 1999 World Cup in England had been fixed.
”A lot of accusations are being made purely on hearsay. That doesn’t solve the problem but complicates it because every board can stand up and accuse the other board,” Zia said.
Khan said on Monday that he was convinced the two matches, which Pakistan lost, were fixed but that he had no proof.
Khan said he was willing to testify before the King commission, which is looking into match-fixing charges in South Africa.
A Pakistan government inquiry, conducted by Judge Malik Mohammad Qayyum, was released three weeks ago but did not cover the World Cup matches.
Qayyum’s report recommended life bans for former captain Salim Malik and Ata-ur-Rehman and fines for six others.
The World Cup matches were investigated by the government’s anti-corruption body which found no evidence of any wrongdoing.
Khan said on Monday he never mentioned his suspicions to his board colleagues but thought they knew how he felt. — Reuters