Tags:
Journalism of Courage
KARACHI, JUNE 20: Legendary Pakistani paceman and former captain Imran Khan on Tuesday lashed out at South African cricket chief Ali Bacher over his sensational match-fixing allegations. He said Bacher should be expelled from the International Cricket Council and sued for quot;millions of dollarsquot; for making false allegations based on quot;heresay.quot;
quot;Bacher is a two-faced man and I have no faith in his credibility. Bacher is vindictive towards Pakistan and India,quot; Khan said. quot;It8217;s all hearsay. India have taken a strong note and Pakistan should not let Bacher go freely,quot; said the 47-year-old Imran who now heads a political party in Pakistan.
quot;I watched the match between Pakistan and India in the World Cup and only a fool can say that the match was fixed,quot; Imran said. quot;Bacher is the first official to pass a damning judgement against an ICC umpire and from now on people will question umpires8217; credibility,quot; he said. quot;If Javed Akhtar is sensible he can earn millions of dollars by sueing Bacher.quot;
Imran said the ICC must take Bacher to task in its annual meeting in London on Thursday. It should also investigate the ICC8217;s alleged knowledge of the Australian Cricket Board8217;s cover-up of its decision to fine Shane Warne and Mark Waugh for providing pitch and weather information to an Indian bookie in 1994.
Imran said former South African captain Hansie Cronje8217;s testimony that he had accepted money to fix matches and discussed offers with the team was an quot;indictment of South African cricket. Cronje8217;s confession is said but what has come across is that Cronje withheld facts. He lied and no matter how sorry one feels about him he has to be punished,quot; he said.
quot;The most tarnishing thing is how a team sat down and listened to a proposal of 250,000 and considered it. I consider this itself is an indictment of South African cricket.quot;
