Late City Edition

Monday 30th August, 2010

BY RICHARD SYDENHAM The says it has Board, was “fully assisting” police with fixing ... I have absolutely no idea about passed all its evidence to the police. their inquiries. it whatsoever.” LONDON (AP) - Police have questioned Scotland Yard police said in a state- “No players nor team officials have Azhar Majeed, who says he and his Amir’s coach members of the Pakistan team ment: “Following information received been arrested in relation to this inci- brother are player agents, admitted he over newspaper allegations of match from the News of the World, we have dent and the 4th npower Test match will had been asked to leave Pakistan’s team fixing during the current Test against today arrested a 35-year-old man on sus- continue as scheduled on Sunday,” said hotel during the third Test at the Oval, rejects fixing England at Lord’s. picion of conspiracy to defraud book- an ICC statement. “As this is now sub- after the team’s security manager told “I can confirm that we are aware of makers.” ject to a police investigation neither the him he was top of the list of people the allegations and Scotland Yard police The man was later confirmed to be ICC, ECB, PCB nor the ground authori- banned from entering players’ rooms. allegations are with us now at the hotel and we are Mazhar Majeed by his brother and busi- ty, the MCC, will make any further com- “Security kept on hassling me, and helping with their inquiries,” Pakistan ness partner Azhar Majeed. ment.” I couldn’t understand what it was for, BY RICHARD SYDENHAM team manager Yawar Saeed told The The News of the World quoted Azhar Majeed told the AP he the reason I was top of the list,” Azhar LONDON (AP) - The mentor and coach of teenage cricket prodigy has rejected allegations that the youngster is involved in cor- ruption after he was named in an undercover match-fixing investigation. The 18-year-old Amir claimed a Test best 6-84 in the fourth Test against England on Saturday before his achieve- Police ment was overshadowed hours later by allegations in a British newspaper that he and fellow opening bowler Mohammad Asif deliberately bowled no-balls in a spot-fixing scam. question Asif Bajwa first met the left-arm fast bowler when he enrolled at his cricket and school academy in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. He said he does not believe the allegations by the Pakistan News of the World newspaper. “I have known him for the last eight years and he is not that kind of chap,” Asif Bajwa told The Associated Press on Sunday. “He is the best crick- over match eter that has ever come through my academy and he was also well educated in Urdu, English and maths. “My school is run very strictly and with discipline fixing reports and my boys here would not do these things.” Amir, the youngest player to reach 50 Test wickets, has been likened to Wasim Akram. Wasim, Pakistan’s most suc- cessful bowler, has said he was not as good as Amir at such a young age. Associated Press. “This is as much as I Majeed as saying up to seven players in The front page of Britain’s News of the World newspaper Sunday Aug. 29 2010 Cricket has in the past can say at the moment.” the Pakistan team could be “bought” for showing a covertly taken picture of the the man it alleges is behind the cricket been blighted by corruption British newspaper the News of the cash. scam involving at least seven members of the the Pakistani national issues but less so in recent World alleged in its Sunday edition that “I’ve been doing it (match fixing) cricket team, counting the 150, 000 pounds ($232,000) the papers undercover years after the International Pakistan players were secretly paid to with them for about 2 1/2 years and reporters, posing as front men for a Far East gambling cartel paid him in order to Cricket Council established an deliberately bowl no-balls during the we’ve made masses of money,” Majeed make sure no-balls are bowled at certain times during a match. Scotland Yard Anti-Corruption and Security fourth and final Test against England as said. police said Sunday they have arrested a 35-year-old man on suspicion of conspir- Unit (ACSU) in 2001. part of a betting scam. Video of the meeting between the acy to defraud bookmakers (AP Photo) ACSU officers and The newspaper says it secretly News of the World undercover reporter Scotland Yard are investigat- ing the newspaper’s claims. filmed video footage of its undercover and Majeed appears to shows the busi- Alleged middleman Mazhar reporters, posing as front men for a Far nessman accepting the money and believed the allegations against his Majeed said. “I couldn’t understand Majeed was filmed in the East gambling cartel, in discussion with insisting that the three no-balls “have brother are “just rubbish.” why. I found it a bit ludicrous for him to paper’s sting operation and a man it identifies as London-based been organized” with the Pakistan “I found it not laughable, because be chucking me out of the hotel. arrested Saturday, his brother businessman Mazhar Majeed, who team. you don’t laugh at things like that, but I Politely I went, but I have absolutely and business partner Azhar appears to accept 150,000 British pounds The International Cricket Council thought it was just rubbish,” Azhar nothing to hide.” Majeed told The Associated ($232,000) in order to make sure no-balls said it was aware of the situation and Majeed said. “I saw the video of Mazhar Any player found guilty of involve- Press. are bowled at certain times during the it, along with the England and Wales sitting there counting out money on the ment in match fixing faces a life ban Mazhar said in the video, match. Cricket Board and the Pakistan Cricket table. They are alleging it was for match from the sport. which is on the newspaper’s website, that fixing no balls was the easiest way to cheat undetected. The idea is for individuals Sri Lanka Cricket gave an erotic touch There were questions asked about the bid- in relationships,” the website further hand. But on the other hand, he’s largely in illegal betting hubs, mostly to the country’s representatives in the ding process and SLC doing it secretly states. responsible for cricketers putting dollars in India, to have that informa- Champions League when it was without the knowledge of its CEO. Along with Nishantha Ranatunga, before the country. Two years ago, tion passed on to them and bet announced that ‘Musli Power’ a ‘sex Then it was alleged that this company there were several national cricketers Jayawardene took on his former mentor on a sure thing. enhancer’ will be the sponsor of had emailed its documents via a hotmail present for the media briefing, including Arjuna Ranatunga as he feared financial “The first ball of the third Wayamba, the champions of the Inter- account. When Charith Senanayake, the Mahela Jayawardene. losses if he represented Sri Lankan over of the innings,” Mazhar Provincial T-20 tournament. However, the Marketing Manger of SLC raised con- So what’s next for Sri Lankan cricket? instead of in the the Indian Premier is heard saying. “Asif and endorsement hasn’t gone down well with cerns about this association, certain par- What will they start promoting condoms? League, during a stand off and shameless- Amir are going to be opening Sri Lankan cricket supporters as there ly went behind politicians to have things the bowling. Amir is going to have been several moral and ethical ques- his way. bowl the first over, yeah.” tions being posed about the association. Politicians with agendas (here we Mazhar added: “Then the The saddest part is, ‘The Island’ can refer to former Sports Minister Gamini Sex and Sri Lanka sixth ball of the 10th over. Asif reveal that the Secretary of Sri Lanka Lokuge) conveniently pointed out clashes will be bowling.” Cricket Nishantha Ranatunga wasn’t Ranatunga had with players and got rid of The video clip that fol- even aware what Wayamba were going to him. A Ranatunga as the Chairman of the lowed on the website showed endorse during the Champions League Cricket Board would have never have approved an Asif ’s no-ball. The TV com- when he attended the media briefing and endorsement such as this. mentator, former England cap- the board has privately admitted that it We have repeatedly pointed out that tain Mike Atherton, highlight- was a mistake not to check things before ties of SLC who wanted the deal go modern top cricket administrators such ed the huge overstep by Asif sitting. And the worst, the product was through, including the Interim as D. S. de Silva, Nishantha Ranatunga that resulted in the no-ball. endorsed on a Poya Day. Committee Secretary and Senanayake and Suraj Dandeniya have absolutely no But Bajwa still defended This deal is a result of a contract that ended up losing his job. qualification to occupy the positions they his star student. Sri Lanka Cricket has entered into with a The product that the Sri Lankan play- do now. The only qualification they’ve got “No balls are part of the Singapore based Indian company, who ers will promote during the Champions is their political connections and thanks game,” Bajwa said. “If you now have the marketing rights of Sri League according to its website is a ‘sex Mahela Jayawardene Nishantha Ranatunga to those political connections they are bowl a no ball, it’s normal. Lanka’s Inter-Provincial tournament and enhancer’. It is a “complete solution for ruining cricket, while seeing to their per- Umar Gul, Asif and Amir have it is they who sold the rights for this par- sexual problems.” “This is one of a kind, Appeals to legalize abortion? We wouldn’t sonal agendas. all had problems. You can’t say ticular company to be the sponsors of potent and extraordinarily effective natu- be surprised. As far as the dollars keep What we wonder is how some of these these things about Amir just Wayamba, who will take part in the ral sex enhancer which helps to increase coming, Sri Lanka Cricket will sell any- officials are able to survive despite con- because he bowled a no ball. Champions League. libido and sexual desire and works as a thing. tinuous blunders. True that their political “I called him to speak to When SLC awarded the marketing powerful male and female sex stimulant. Part of the problem lies with Mahela patronage is huge, but even that political him last night but his phone rights of Inter-Provincial tournaments to This ignites passion and romance in one’s Jayawardene. We reiterate that patronage has to end at some point, espe- was off. I hope he will cope OK this particular company, there were sever- life and helps to achieve new levels of Jayawardene is a fantastic cricketer and cially when it’s doing irreparable damage with the pressure. I am sure he al questions raised about the company. erotic intimacy and emotional closeness an absolute treat to watch with the bat in to cricket and the country in general. will because he is strong.”

Published by Upali Newspapers (Private) Limited, 223, Bloemendhal Road, Colombo 13 and Printed at 195/187, High Level Road, Homagama on Monday 30th August, 2010