The News — Tainted four cleared

The four players were mentioned in the report of an internal probe conducted by the PCB last year. Excerpts from the report were made public last Saturday by The Ehtesab (accountability) Bureau which recommended framing of charges against eight players.

The report made specific allegations against Wasim Akram, Salim Malik and Ijaz Ahmed on the basis of which the three were putunder temporary suspension by the board.

The Bureau report had also named five other players — Moin Khan, Inzamam-ul Haq, Mushtaq Ahmed, Waqar Younis and Saqlain Mushtaq — and had said all of them should face probe under the conduct rules of PCB. The five players have not been reported as `actively involved’ but their role will also be investigated, Rehman has been quoted as saying by The Dawn.

AKRAM RETURNS HOME ON WEDNESDAY: Skipper Wasim Akram, arguably the greatest left-arm bowler in the history of cricket, who is returning home from England tomorrow, appears determined to clear his name. He has strongly denied the allegations.

“I am coming home and am ready to face allegations because I have not done anything wrong,” the 33-year-old captain said from London. Akram, who is the only bowler to have taken more than 300 wickets both in Tests as well as one-dayers said, “I am sad and disappointed whatever has happened, but I am confident to fight it out.”

Akram’s lawyer Khwaja AhmedTariq Raheem, contacted by PTI in Lahore today, rejected the allegations against the bowler saying that he has been charged on the basis of the report of a probe committee which never heard the Pakistani skipper.

Raheem said that there was no hurry to rush through on the basis of PCB probe committee report in view of the fact that the judicial commission is in the last stages of its inquiry.

Govt framed trio: Imran

KARACHI: Cricket legend Imran Khan lashed out at the suspensions of three top Pakistan cricketers here today and alleged the government had framed the star trio. Imran blasted the suspensions of Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram and colleagues Salim Malik and Ejaz Ahmed as `premature’, and said the long-running judicial match-fixing inquiry was to blame for the uproar.

“I am all at sea at what a mess they have created,” Imran said. “The accountability bureau has framed charges on the players after unilateral allegations,” Imran told AFP.

Imran was sharply critical of the committee’sactions. “The present ad-hoc committee seems to have acted prematurely. They have made players guilty without giving them a chance to clear their position,” said Imran, who now heads his own movement for justice party.

“The judicial inquiry is to be most blamed for the recent scenario. It should have been finished four months ago,” he said.

“What if players go to the court on suspension. It will take another year or so (to resolve). To me Pakistan cricket has been an ultimate loser due to this saga,” he said.

Imran backed Akram, whose early career he helped nurture, and said he was unaware of any evidence against the star all-rounder.

“What has happened to Wasim is worse than a sentence. I do not know about any evidence of Wasim’s involvement in match-fixing and hope he gets justice,” he said.

“I will be disappointed if any player who played under me is proven guilty,” Imran said. But he added: “If it all somebody is found guilty, he deserves a life ban.”

Imran said the previous ad-hocbody in 1994 had tried to sweep the matter under the carpet when it first surfaced. “That was the biggest tragedy in Pakistan cricket.”