Match Fixing News

Colombo Asia Cup match was fixed -Rasheed

LAHORE, Pakistan, Saturday - Former Pakistan coach Haroon Rasheed told a judge investigating charges of betting and match-fixing in Pakistan cricket today, he was convinced that some matches, including an Asia Cup match in Colombo last year, was deleberately lost. "During my (July 1997-August 1998) tenure as coach there were some matches which I, as a cricketer, felt should have been won by Pakistan but were lost," Rasheed told Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum at a hearing.
Rasheed told a government-appointed inquiry into allegations of foul play in the national sport that there were three one-day       internationals which he felt Pakistan should have won but lost. An interim report by the Pakistan Cricket Board recommended that Salim Malik, Wasim Akram and Ijaz Ahmad should not be selected in the team until the investigations were over. Malik and Ahmad are presently in Canada for the Sahara Cup against India while Wasim Akram has announced his retirement. "During an Asia Cup match in Colombo in 1997, Pakistan were chasing 239 and the target looked well within reach when Inzamam-ul-Haq and Salim Malik were batting. But first Inzamam was run out while taking a risky single and then Salim Malik threw away his wicket,"Rasheed said. "In the dressing room, Inzamam told me that he and Malik had decided not to take risky singles but he (Salim Malik) made a call to            which he had to respond," Rasheed, who was replaced by Javed Miandad last month, said. "In one of the 1997 Sahara Cup matches, Pakistan were chasing 208 for victory and Salim Malik and Saqlain Mushtaq were at the crease. Once again there was a mix-up which resulted in Saqlain's run-out. Shortly, Salim Malik again threw away his wicket as Pakistan lost by 20 runs." Rasheed said in the second one-day international against India at Karachi the visitors needed 16 or 17 runs in the last over which was bowled by Saqlain Mushtaq. "He gave away those runs. Such kind of bowling could not have been expected of a bowler of Saqlain Mushtaq's calibre," Rasheed said.
Rasheed said that during last year's Asia Cup, Rashid Latif gave an interview in which he accused both Pakistani and Indian cricketers of match-fixing. Rasheed said he contacted Latif, who was in England at that time, who contradicted some portions of the interview and denied naming Saeed Anwar. The next hearing is set for September 26.
 
 

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