Match
Fixing News
Giving captaincy to Wasim will be real injustice
KARACHI: Senator Zahid Khan, who is a member of the Senate Standing
Committee on Sports and Culture, has spoken out strongly against the possibility
that the Pakistan Cricket Council would, in its meeting today, announce
Wasim Akram the captain of the Pakistan cricket team for the Indian tour.
Objecting to Wasim Akram's very presence in the team till he had been
cleared of match fixing charges Senator Zahid said from Islamabad that
this move of the Council would in effect ridicule the feelings and emotions
of the entire country and make Pakistan the laughing stock of the cricket
world. "This match fixing case is still awaiting a verdict. It is already
in court. We in the Senate Standing Committee have also investigated it
and the case needs a verdict. These allegations are serious. In the mean
time you cannot make one of the main accused members the captain of Pakistan.
"In fact I believe that till such time as the verdict is delivered these
four players should not even be allowed to play for Pakistan," he said
referring to Saleem Malik,
Wasim Akram, Mushtaq Ahmed and Ijaz Ahmed. Ever since the match fixing
charges have been brought out in the open Wasim Akram has not had a single
overseas club to play for. His attempt to represent Canterbury Club in
New Zealand this winter did not materialise and then his English county
of ten years -- Lancashire -- did not renew his contract. Although
available, he has not been contracted to any other county and will
be playing for a second division club team next summer after the conclusion
of the World Cup. The Senator said that after Akram had been cleared of
charges the Senate or anybody would have no objections to him being appointed
at the helm. "This is not the time to make Wasim Akram the captain. You
cannot make a fool of our institutions like this. This is a mockery. if
he is appointed this will be real injustice and the intent is malafide.
You cannot violate parliamentary cases so blatantly."
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