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Home , Mazhar Majeed, Mohammad Amir

14 Tuesday 31st August, 2010

SYDNEY (AP) - Former Australia cap- Miandad calls for tain Ian Chappell says revelations about a match-fixing scheme by in Pakistan team to England again places considerable doubt on the outcome of Pakistan’s Sydney be replaced Test against Australia in January. BY RIZWAN ALI An England-based Pakistan player agent arrested for alleged corruption ISLAM- claimed he made more than a million ABAD (AP) - dollars betting on a game that saw Former Australia come-from-behind for an Pakistan bat- extraordinary victory. ting great Javed ’s team trailed Miandad wants Pakistan by more than 200 runs after the his nation’s first innings, and with eight entire team to be down in the second innings had only a replaced for the 50-run lead when Nathan Hauritz rest of the tour became the eighth man out and Peter of England in Siddle joined Mike Hussey in the middle. the wake of Miandad Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran match-fixing Akmal dropped four catches from the allegations against some of its play- ers. pair, including three from Hussey, who - Miandad, the director general of with the aid of some extraordinary field the , also placings - scored 134 . wants the team management to return There were claims in Pakistan after home ahead of the remaining the game that the match was fixed, but twoTwenty20 and five one-day interna- they were never proved. Akmal was tionals against England starting from dropped from the next game, however. next week. “It will be tough for the players to “Obviously for them to lose that handle this pressure as they will not game they had to be one of two things: be in the right frame of mind,” the worst test players of all time or the A man reads an evening newspaper with a headline in reading, “match-fixing scandal”, a reference to a British news- Miandad told The Associated Press. best match-fixers of all time,” Chappell paper’s allegations of during the cricket Test match between Pakistan and England, at a news stand in , “It’s better that they should be said in The Australian newspaper on Pakistan, Sunday, Aug. 29, 2010. British police questioned Pakistan cricket players Saturday night after the News of the replaced with new players, and I think Monday. World newspaper alleged that players were paid to deliberately bowl no-balls during Thursday’s opening Test match. we have enough talented players in A Cricket Australia spokesman said (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudar) reserve. “I am more than willing to accom- Monday that he did not know of any to the outcome of rigorous inves- pany the new team and coach them in match-fixing in Sydney.The tigation by the U.K. authori- the Twenty20 and one-day internation- International Cricket Council also inves- ties as well as by the ICC,” als.” tigated the claims. Ian Chappell said Sutherland. “It is crit- Pakistan pacemen Mohammad Asif “The ICC’s advice is that they could- ical for cricket that the and were accused n’t see any evidence of anything that public has confidence by a British newspaper of being paid was untoward,” the Cricket Australia in the integrity of to deliberately bowl no-balls during Thursday’s opening day of the fourth spokesman said. “Our continuing view the outcome of test against England. Pakistan lost the of that game is that we won it on the says doubts games.” match by an innings and 225 runs and merit of our own performance.” the series 3-1. Former ICC boss Malcolm Speed If match fixing allegations are says the Sydney match needs to be rein- proven against any players, Miandad vestigated. wants harsh sanctions to be imposed. January Test “If anyone is found guilty, he “The Sydney test was under a cloud should not be spared and punished earlier this year. But yes that needs to be Majeed, who is also a property devel- “It looks as though it is strictly,” he said. looked at again,” Speed told Australian oper, told the endemic that several of the Broadcasting Corp. radio. reporter that bowlers would deliver no- team members are involved The arrested agent, who was in balls in the Lord’s test, which they did and have been for some time. Australia with the Pakistan side during at exactly the nominated time. He So perhaps they need a rest. Asif’s ex-girl- the test series, boasted to Britain’s News claimed close links to Mohammad The News of the World do of the World he had arranged the result. Amir, Mohammad Asif and Akmal. this sort of thing very friend claims “Let me tell you the last test we did,” Amir and Asif both bowled the no- well and it’s very graph- said on secret record- balls. All of the named players were ic.” ings. “It was the second test against involved in the Sydney test except “(It’s) great that Indian hand Australia in Sydney.Australia had two Amir. they’ve been caught in Popular Pakistani actress and crick- more wickets left. They had a lead of 10 On Sunday, England wrapped up England where there is eter Muhammad Asif ’s former girl- runs, yeah. And Pakistan had all their the Lord’s test before lunch, winning a very sophisticated friend, Veena Malik, has added to the by an innings and 225 runs and taking legal system that deals woes of the embattled pacer by claim- wickets remaining. ing that she has proof of his involve- “The odds for Pakistan to lose that the series 3-1. with conspiracy and ment in spot-fixing and that he has been match, for Australia to win that match, Speed, an Australian who was the specifically with cheat- in touch with bookmakers in the recent were I think 40-1. We let them get up to chief executive of the ICC from 2001- ing in sport. So I see that past. 150 then everyone lost their wickets. 2008, says he is concerned by what as a major positive.” Veena, who had a much publicised “That one we made 1.3 (million dol- “looks a fairly compelling case” of Cricket Australia chief exec- break up with Asif earlier this year, Pakistan’s Mohammad Amir leaves Lord’s rigged betting and thinks a team ban utive James Sutherland said he was said on television that Asif used to be in lars). But that’s what I mean, you can get after the fourth day of the fourth cricket Test could be in order. shocked by the allegations. touch with an Indian bookmaker named up to a million. Tests is where the match against England at the Lord’s cricket Deeraj Dikshit, who paid him for spot- biggest money is because those situa- “I think that’s (suspension) an “The reports from the U.K. are ground, London, Sunday Aug. 29, 2010. fixing in matches. tions arise.” option. It’s serious,” Speed said. most disturbing and we look forward (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) “Asif used to call up this Indian bookmaker and other bookies as well on the phone of his servant. I have evi- dence of the messages he exchanged with the bookies,” she said as she waved NZ Cricket monitors around a paper having a list of mes- Cricket match-fixing: sages. match-fixing probe Veena said Asif had told her that Pakistan would not win any Test series BY STEVE MCMORRAN until 2010 and that good money was to WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) - suspicion falls on 80 be earned from spot fixing without New Zealand Cricket has reserved com- affecting results of the matches. ment on match-fixing allegations sur- Veena said, “Asif went to a neutral rounding the Pakistan cricket team, country to finalise the deal on match games as ‘fixer’ bailed fixing. Before going to Australia he even which may jeopardize its scheduled tour to New Zealand in December. met the bookie. I am 100% sure he met a BY RICHARD EDWARDS, MARTIN pinpointed on Thursday and Friday.Mr boasted he laundered the proceeds of the man from . A man from India used Chief executive Justin Vaughan Majeed reportedly claimed that by tipping match-fixing racket through the club. to text Asif. Asif always used to reply told The Associated Press on Monday BECKFORD AND MURRAY WARDROP off betting syndicates they could place The inquiry will be led by the Specialist from an aide’s number. I traced this par- his organization could not immediately More than 80 international cricket matches will be investigated amid allega- “spot” bets and make millions of pounds. and Economic Crime Department – which ticular number and called back. A man comment on the allegations against tions that a London businessman has been He also made more serious claims that has also investigated MPs suspected of by the name of Dheeraj Dikshit picked Pakistan players or discuss ramifica- running a multi-million-pound match-fix- he could arrange to have players throw expenses fraud. up. He is a photographer in India and tions for its future tour schedule. ing racket. Test matches and one-day internationals, it Commentators said that earlier Tests at told me that he called in concern with a He said New Zealand would seek Mazhar Majeed, a British property is alleged. Edgbaston and , which fea- commercial that Asif is doing. I told advice from the International Cricket developer and sports agent, was arrested The Daily Telegraph can disclose that tured a host of no-balls, wides and dropped him to talk to me as I was handling all Council before addressing the allega- on suspicion of rigging a test match Mr Majeed, who presents himself as a catches, had also raised suspicions. of Asif ’s commercial deals. Asif made tions or assessing any impact on its own between England and Pakistan at Lords. property tycoon and football club owner, Asif Ali Zardari, the president of me promise that whatever I heard will international program. He was released on bail earlier Monday has left thousands of pounds in unpaid Pakistan, was said to have asked for a remain a secret. The reason Asif and I Vaughan was unable to say what but will have to appear before police at a bills and a string of companies that have report from the country’s cricket board on drifted apart is because our relationship steps the ICC might take against players later date. closed in his wake. the allegations. could not have been at the cost of the implicated in the scandal or what stand Scotland Yard may have been tipped off Faisal Hameed, a former business part- After their defeat yesterday, the respect for my country.The entire New Zealand would take in any discus- a month ago about match-fixing in the first ner of Mr Majeed, said that three years Pakistani players were booed by their own Australian tour was fixed. Once I called sion of possible disciplinary measures. match of the England v Pakistan Test ago their Croydon-based company Bluesky supporters and their bus had tomatoes Asif in Australia and laughed and said “We’re waiting until we get a clear- series at Trent Bridge in Nottingham, it Developments, which sponsored some of thrown at it as it left Lord’s. A group of that do not go public, but Pakistan will er picture,” Vaughan said. “We hope to has been reported. the Pakistan players, was dissolved after it about 20 Pakistan fans directed abuse at not win any series in 2010. Asif himself be able to make a statement within the Four Pakistan players were questioned began losing money due to the financial Butt, chanting “match-fixer”. told me that he told Amir not to worry crisis. He rejected calls for him to step down next couple of days.” over the weekend as part of a Scotland about any investigation or case as they Sources said that the International from the captaincy.“These are just allega- On Sunday,Vaughan told Television Yard inquiry into claims they had taken do not matter.” Cricket Council’s anti-corruption unit, tions, anyone can say anything about any- 3 news he hoped Pakistan would be able orders from Majeed to corrupt a Test Malik broke up with Asif after the match at Lord’s. whose investigators flew in from their base one, that doesn’t make them true,” Butt latter married as per his parents’ wish- to send a full-strength team to New in Dubai yesterday, would study all 82 Tests said after the game. Zealand in December, including young Sources said that the passports of the es. and one-day matches played by Pakistan in In an article for The Daily Telegraph, Veena had filed a court case against fast bowler Mohammad Amir.Amir was cricketers under investigation could be the period Mr Majeed reportedly claimed Ramiz Raja, the former Pakistan , Asif for recovery of some Rs 13 million one of three Pakistan players inter- seized and that up to seven players could to have rigged matches. wrote: “The people back home are suffer- earlier this year after their break-up, viewed by British police after allega- be questioned on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud. The rest of the squad could They will work with the Metropolitan ing because of the fight against fundamen- with the cricketer denying he owed her tions made by the News of the World also be interviewed as potential witnesses. Police, who are leading the inquiry into talism and the floods… Now it is a new anything. newspaper. Conspiracy to defraud carries a maxi- the allegation that two bowlers — scandal and it has hurt the entire country After an ugly exchange of allega- “It’s very important that we have mum jail term of 10 years. Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif — because of the love and admiration they tions in the media, both reached a set- their best team and that we prepare as England’s victory to seal the four-match deliberately bowled no-balls at Lord’s after have for the players.” tlement on the intervention of a mutual well as possible for the World Cup which series yesterday was tainted as details of Mr Majeed was handed £150,000. Lord Condon, the former head of the friend. immediately follows (the December the scandal emerged. The team manager confirmed that ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit, Malik also alleged that Asif had paid tour),” Vaughan said. In a tabloid newspaper sting, Mr Majeed detectives raided the players’ hotel on has previously confirmed that Pakistan’s bribes to escape a longer suspension He said the allegations against the claimed that he had been running a racket Saturday night, seizing their mobile tour of Australia last January was under when he tested positive in a dope test Pakistan team concerned New Zealand with seven players for “about two and a phones. Amir, Asif, , the team investigation to assess whether the poor during the Indian Premier League two Cricket. half years” and added “we’ve made masses captain, and , the - performance was a result of a “dysfunc- years back. “Any whiff of corruption within and masses of money”. keeper, have all been questioned and pro- tional” team or “something more serious”. Anchor: Where did he go? cricket is just not a good look for the According to the newspaper, before the vided statements to police. Mr Majeed, 35, Mr Majeed’s brother and business part- Veena: Asif had gone to Bangkok game,” Vaughan said. game at Lord’s, he specifically ordered two was arrested on Saturday night on conspir- ner, Azhar, insisted yesterday that the alle- and I said it on-record that why PCB is “The game’s in a lot better state Pakistan players to deliver deliberate no- acy to defraud bookmakers. gations were “just rubbish”. not investigating the matter that why than what it was. Perhaps this is anoth- balls, by overstepping the crease as they The accounts of Bluesky, and Croydon Angus Fraser, the former England one of their players had gone to er reminder that we need to be con- bowled. Athletic football club, a non-league team bowler, said: “Everyone with a deep love or Bangkok on 24 hours notice and came owned by him, will be studied by detec- interest for the game will be absolutely stantly vigilant.” They did so exactly at the moments he back. Times Now tives. According to the reports, Mr Majeed appalled by these allegations.”