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Pakistan Cricket Board examining ACB documents

By Our Sports Reporter
11 December 1998


KARACHI, Dec 10: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is examining all documents and papers relating to betting and match-fixing allegations against Pakistani cricketers before issuing its reaction to the situation arising out of the admission of two Australians that they took money to pass on weather and pitch reports to bookmakers.

``We are going through all the (written) communication that took place between the PCB and Australian Cricket Board (ACB) since three Australian players had accused Salim Malik of offering them money to lose the last test of the their 1994-95 tour of Pakistan,'' PCB chairman Khalid Mahmood told Dawn from Lahore.

An official statement from the PCB was expected on Thursday but was not released.

``We have also referred the tentative draft (of the reaction) to our legal advisor for opinion. If I recall correctly, the ACB had asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to take up the matter,'' said Khalid Mahmood.

When the Australians levelled allegations against Salim Malik, the then ACB chief executive Graham Halbish, in a letter to Javed Burki (February 22, 1995), wrote: ``ACB had the view then as it does now, that the allegations were proper matters for the ICC to deal with and for one board to put to another.''

Halbish had added: ``Our wish was for ICC to handle the matter of alleged bribery quietly, privately and discreetly. It is our understanding that David Richards (ICC chief executive) discussed the allegations with John Reid (match referee for the 1994-95 series) at the time.

``David Richards was contacted before and after the end of the year and queried as to progress of the matter. It was finally agreed to discuss the matter in Sydney at the end of February (1995), when he and Sir Clyde Walcott were due to visit Australia.

``Both ACB and I have acted at all times in a manner which is proper and consistent with what we believe to be in the best interest of cricket. Obviously the matter is now in the hands of the ICC and we expect that it, together with the ad hoc committee, will deal with the allegations in an appropriate manner.''

Mahmood described the contradiction of Australian Cricket Board (ACB) statements as 'double standards'. ``The matter was in ICC hands when the allegations were against Pakistan. But now since their players have admitted taking money from bookmaker and the world is criticising them, the matter suddenly becomes internal,'' remarked Mahmood.

Source: Dawn
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