Pak cricket in a fix,Again

A defiant Pakistan Test captain Salman Butt on Sunday refused to step down from his post despite his name cropping up in a spot-fixing scandal that has plunged the game into a crisis....

A defiant Pakistan Test captain Salman Butt on Sunday refused to step down from his post despite his name cropping up in a spot-fixing scandal that has plunged the game into a crisis. Butt is among the seven Pakistan cricketers whose names have come up in a tabloid sting which led to the arrest of a bookie,Mazhar Majeed,last night. Asked whether he would consider quitting the job,which was given to him only last month,Butt shot back with Why?

These are just allegations,anyone can say anything about anyone,that doesnt make them true, he added.

Butt insisted that his team gave its 100 per cent in the series but couldnt get the results. We have given our best,its just that the conditions have been difficult for the batsmen, said Butt. Every person has given 100 per cent,but not every time can you achieve what you want.

Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed,on the other hand,was left to deal with queries on whether the two Twenty20 Internationals and the five-match ODI series against England starting September 5 is still on given the circumstances. As far as Im concerned the one-day series is on, he responded. Saeed said the dressing room mood has been affected by the allegations,especially of young pacer Mohammad Amir,who was ironically named Man of the Series along with England batsman Jonathan Trott. Mohammad Amir is a young bowler who has done very well in his career. He is disappointed to have been involved in these allegations, he added. Unconfirmed reports also stated that Pakistani players passports have been confiscated by the police.

Majeed,the bookie who made sensational claims of bribing Pakistani bowlers to bowl no-balls in the Lords Test said that the visiting cricketers are just looking for money,women and food and very few of them have any love for the game. Youll find theres only a few players who are genuine and who are actually here for the love of the game,and theres not many believe me. A lot of them are just looking for money,women and food, he said. Majeed claimed cheating was not confined to match-fixing alone and that ball tampering had also become regular in the Pakistan team. I used to go out to give the players their drinks. Whenever we couldnt get a wicket Id have a lump of Vaseline on my hand. Shake their hand. Theyd put it on one side of the ball and the ball would suddenly start in-swinging, he said.

life-ban for guilty

Meanwhile,Pakistan Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has called for a detailed report from the cricket board over the allegations. Zardaris spokesperson,Farhatullah Babar,said the President wanted to be kept informed of developments and the status of any inquiry.

Pakistan sports minister Ijaz Hussain Jakhrani has also promised life bans for any Pakistan cricketers found guilty of spot-fixing. We are waiting for a detailed report from PCB and if any players are found guilty they will be banned for life.