Melbourne, May 24: The ICC has conveyed to Cricket Australia (CA) that it was because of its national team’s own efforts that it won the Sydney Test against Pakistan and there was no involvement of match-fixing.
Former Pakistan coaches Intikhab Alam and Aaqib Javed had earlier last week told an inquiry committee, set-up to investigate on the disastrous tour of Australia, had alleged that some of the players could have been involved in match-fixing.
But the ICC has ruled out any such claims and said it is not investigating Pakistani players anymore.
The ICC’s Anti Corruption Unit head, Paul Condon, said this week his department was investigating the efforts of Pakistan players, prompting CA’s chief executive officer James Sutherland to write to the ICC seeking more information.
”The ICC has replied, saying it has seen no evidence of match-fixing and that there is no current investigation of match-fixing,” CA spokesman Peter Young was quoted as saying by The Australian yesterday.
”Haroon Lorgat has assured James Sutherland that Australia won the match on its merits. Lord Condon found evidence of a demoralised team and warned that cricket authorities needed to be extra vigilant,” he added.
Aaqib, who was Pakistan’s assistant coach during the tour, was asked during the PCB inquiry if he suspected wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal.
He replied, ”I’m not sure, but my suspicions are pretty high,” he had said. ”They are high because of other things I know about the process, the people in the surroundings… there is a question mark, yes.” The PCB chairman, Ijaz Butt, yesterday had said the findings of its inquiry were being considered by retired high court judge, but the board had no intention of taking action over what it had heard.
”The match-fixing allegations don’t bar Kamran Akmal from the England tour. We are meeting on May 25 for the Asia Cup and England tour and even Shahid Afridi is a part of it,” Butt said.
Afridi, who was caught biting the ball during the tour of Australia and was suspended for ball tampering, has also called for calm.
”I think that for our team to move on, we need to quickly resolve all such controversies.
”You can’t expect the players to give their best when there are so many allegations thrown at them,” Afridi said.
——-Agencies