Pak now clean, says Qayyum

The recommendations of the judge’s report led to Pakistan’s former captain Salim Malik and discarded Test pace bowler Ata-ur-Rehman being banned for life by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) last Wednesday.

Six other Pakistan cricketers, including ex-skipper Wasim Akram, were fined either for bringing the game into disrepute or failing to co-operate with the inquiry.

Qayyum was asked during the interview if he thought matches involving England players had escaped bribery attempts. The judge said: “The evidence which was presented to me didn’t speak of any Pakistan-England match being fixed, except for one match which was a one-dayer in England. But that was just heresay, there was nothing concrete.”

Qayyum said he thought it was in 1994 “When Pakistan had won the Test series and it was followed by the one-dayers.” Pakistan, in fact, did not tour England in 1994. They did so in 1992 and 1996.

The judge said: “There was no suspicion of any English players. The only thing which was said was that Wasim (Akram) and Waqar (Younis) bowled badly in that match. Nobody accused any English players. They only said the Pakistan team bowled badly.”