Match Fixing News

Latif submits taped evidence

 

LAHORE, Oct 18 Former captain Rashid Latif gave taped evidence to a judicial commission investigating charges of betting and match-fixing in Pakistan cricket, legal sources said today.They said Latif submitted a video and audio cassette to justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum yesterday but recorded his statement in camera. It will not be released. Ali Sibtain Fazli, lawyer for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), said the evidencehas yet to be examined. But he has provided Justuce Qayyum a video and audio cassette which is expected to unfold several hidden secrets, Fazli said. The video is expected to show footage of matches that are suspected to have been fixed. The audio cassette is believed to carry a conversation and some cricketers involved in the probe, sources close to Latif said.     Rashid Latif has told the judge that even Saeed Anwar was offered a bribe thrice but he turned down the offer, one source close to Latif said. Latif accused Salim Malik of fixing matches on the 1994-95 tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe. He announced his retirement decision on the same tour but reversed his decision three months later. An interim report released by the PCB recommended that Malik, Ijaz Ahmed and Wasim Akram should not be selected until the investigations were completed. Malik and Ahmed are playing in the second Test against Australia at Peshawar but Akram pulled out because of flu. He, however, played in the first Test which         Australia won by an innings and 99 runs. All the three players deny the allegations. "We are reaching somewhere. The evidence is coming. The Australians gave some information and now Latif has provided us more." "The judicial commission started the job anticipating that nothing might come out. But it's a different situation now," Fazli stated. He refused to discuss the testimony of Latif but said it carried enough information. The cassettes should do the rest," he added." Latif's hearing continued for more than an hour. Fazli said an alleged bookmaker, Khalid Ghitti, also appeared before the judicial     commission but denied having any knowledge about betting and match-fixing. "He said he neither knew the players involved nor have even offered them bribe to throw away a match. He also denied ever offering a four million rupees bribe to Salim Malik," Fazli said. Fazli said PCB chief executive Majid Khan informed Justice Qayyum that his organisation was willing to pay all expenses for Australia's Shane Warne to travel from Dhaka, Bangladesh, to Lahore, to give evidence to the inquiry. "But Shane Warne is not coming to Dhaka for the (Wills) International Cup," he said. Warne was one of three Australian cricketers who had accussed Malik of  offering them bribe to throw the first Test at Karachi which Pakistan won by one wicket on the last tour four years ago. Two weeks ago, Mark Waugh appeared before the judicial commission and repeated his allegations. Mark Taylor, the Australian captain, also confirmed that the players had informed him of the offer.Warne is not on Australia's current tour of Pakistan following a shoulder operation. Tim May has retired from international cricket.

 

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