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Emirates Cricket Board's Independent Commission of Inquiry is to interview Pakistan's former Test cricketer Sarfraz Nawaz and I.S. Bindra, ex-chief of the Board of Control for Cricket in India as part of investigations into allegations that Sharjah is the home of betting and match-fixing. The interviews will take place in London in the second week of this month, a source who did not want to be identified told Dawn on Saturday.

The Commission of Inquiry comprises QC George Staple, who is the chairman and former West Indian skipper Clive Lloyd and UAE's Brig Muhammad K. Al Mualla, both commissioners. Sir Paul Condon, head of the International Cricket Council's Anti Corruption Unit, has appointed this commission of inquiry only for Sharjah, a venue which is now widely believed to be "unclean".

The Staple commission, the source said was in Sharjah last month on the heels of the tri-nation tournament involving Pakistan, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.

Before that, the three members of the inquiry were in England where they interviewed relevant people for clues. Sarfraz has said all along that matches played in Sharjah were fixed and claimed that the 1987 World Cup semifinal between Australia and Pakistan in Lahore was fixed, a move masterminded by Abdul Rehman Bukhatir, Chairman of the Cricketers Benefit Fund Series.

As a result of this allegation, Bukhatir sued Sarfraz for Rs 10 million but the case was not pursued till the end. The Staple commission feels that in the light of Justice Malik Qayyum report on betting and match-fixing, Sarfraz may have information which would be directly relevant to the allegations which the commission is investigating. I.S. Bindra is also believed to have vital information that could help the commission of inquiry.

The latest blow to Sharjah's image came last month when India pulled out of the tri-nation tournament there and announced that they would not compete at any off-shore venue for three years.

© Dawn