The Australian Cricket Board official, Mr Malcolm Speed, said this in a letter dated October 1 to the LHC inquiry commission registrar, Abdus Salam Khawar. The following is the text of the letter.

`` On behalf of the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) and the Australian cricket team, thank you for your letter to team manager Mr Steve Bernard of 29th September, 1998 requesting attendance by certain Australian cricketers at the inquiry headed by Mr Justice Malik Muhammad Qayyum. Mr Bernard forwarded the letter to me as soon as it was received on 30th September, 1998.

``The Pakistan Cricket Board(PCB) clearly regards the inquiry as an extremely serious matter. The ACB is supportive of the PCB and has expressed its support previously.

``The ACB was surprised, however, to receive this request as the allegations made by the named players were dealt in the inquiry conducted by Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G. Ibrahim in 1995 who concluded that Saleem Malik did not have a case to answer.

``Since then the ACB and the players have regarded this matter as being concluded.

``The Australian team is very focussed on the current test series which commenced today and I am concerned to minimize any distraction which might occur. However, in view of your request, I have been asked by the chairman of the ACB to visit Pakistan immediately to deal with this matter and report back to him. I expect to arrive this weekend. Could I respectfully request that you provide information that would enable me to contact you during my visit to discuss the inquiry request?''

Justice Malik Muhammad Qayyum is conducting the inquiry. It has examined a number of cricketers and officials of the PCB so far. Further proceedings will be held on Saturday (tomorrow) and Ataur Rehman is expected to record his statement.

The commission had asked for the appearance of three Australians, Shane Warne, Tim May, Mark Waugh and captain Mark Taylor. The three players accused Salim Malik of asking them to ``throw'' the 1994 Karachi match.