Players indulged in objectionable activities, says report

The Ehtesab accountability Bureau, constituted by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to investigate corruption charges against politicians and bureaucrats, has been entrusted with this high profile inquiry with the country outraged by performance of its cricket team.

The probe would cover top officials of PCB and Pakistan intelligence agencies have already submitted a report to the accountability bureau to the effect that 8220;indiscipline, lack of coordination and planning8221; by the team management were evident, according to media reportshere.

The team has also been accused of indulging in match-fixing for money because it lost to weaker teams like Bangladesh while Wasim Akram8217;s controversial comment before the match against India that it was a practice game8217; have also been cited as proof of match-fixing.

The report further said even PCB chairman Mahmood, who accompanied the team to England, failed to maintain discipline in the side.

Pakistan intelligence agencies, according to media reports here, have already submitted report to the bureau, headed by one of the closest aides of the Prime Minister, and the reports clearly show 8220;evidence of indiscipline, lack of coordination, planning and management by the of members of the cricket team8221;.

8220;We have concrete evidence regarding the involvement of Pakistan8217;s World Cup squad in objectionable activities during their stay in England,8221; a senior accountability bureau official was quoted as saying.

The report also indicts players for being involved in 8220;immoral activities8221; duringPakistan8217;s April tour of Sharjah.

The intelligence report said when the then coach Javed Miandad tried to control it, players revolted against him and forced him to resign.

Meanwhile, senior opposition leader and member of the senate standing committee on sport, Syed Iqbal Haider, has also called for thorough inquiry against players and top officials of PCB in view of the World Cup debacle.

8220;All this happened due to criminal negligence of the officials of PCB as they have been trying to hide the criminal acts of match-fixing and betting by the senior players since 1993,8221; Haider said.

Haider has demanded that the government initiate a thorough inquiry and find out the bank accounts, both within and outside the country, of PCB officials and senior players.

8220;Government should also look into the reasons that led to the resignation of Javed Miandad as coach just before the team8217;s departure for England for the World Cup8221;, he said.

The standing committee member also alleged that players such as AamirSohail, Aaqib Javed, Rashid Latif, Basit Ali and Ata-ur-Rehman were forced to leave the team by the PCB mafia8217; because they had raised voice against the immoral acts8217; of some senior players.

Mahmood, however, stood by the World Cup squad saying he would 8220;ensure no injustice is done to the players8221; and debunked the match-fixing allegations as 8220;usual reactions of an emotional nation8221;.

Incidentally Mahmood was instrumental in bringing back Akram as skipper last year after the speedster vowed never to lead the team following accusations of match-fixing and betting and had also insisted on the inclusion of Salim Malik and Ijaz Ahmed in the World Cup team.

Mahmood brushed aside the betting allegations against the team members as 8220;usual reaction from an emotional nation. Everyone seems to forget that this team has been winning consistently for the last six months. And now they are being called criminals. It is indeed shameful. It is time we matured as a nation.8221;

The board chief listed the successesof the team in the last six months as winning the first Asian Test Championship, a triangular tournament in India and another in Sharjah besides reaching the World Cup final.

He claimed Pakistan8217;s poor show in the final was due to injuries to several players. Saeed Anwar and Abdul Razzaq had to take steroid injections because of their groin and ruptured muscle problems respectively, while Inzamam-ul-Haq, Moin and Ijaz played with either swollen or fractured fingers, he told the paper.

Shoaib Akhtar and Saqlain Mushtaq were also complaining of knee problems, Mahmood said. 8220;It was painful for me also to see our team capitulating in the final against Australia, but these things happen. And I know the boys tried hard and wanted to win. It was not just their day.8221;