Match
Fixing News
Aamer Sohail won't withdraw charges against team-mates
KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Aamer Sohail on Monday reiterated his
claim that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman, Khalid Mahmood, had
asked him to withdraw charges of match-fixing and betting against captain
Wasim Akram. Responding to a statement issued by the PCB terming his claim
as fictitious, Sohail told 'The News' from Lahore that he stuck to what
he had said and could substantiate the same. "The PCB's reaction was not
unexpected. I never thought that they would accept what I had said. But
the bottom line is that I can substantiate that Mahmood did come to me
and said that if I wanted to play cricket, I must withdraw all my allegations
against Wasim," he stated. Asked how could he justify his claims, Sohail
replied: "Because there was a third person involved during the whole conversation
which took place between me and Mahmood." "The fact is that Mahmood wanted
me to withdraw the charges against Wasim and said so in the presence of
that third person." The opener, however, refused to divulge the identity
of the witness. 'The News' has confirmed information from independent sources
that Sohail had also approached the legal advisor to the PCB, Ali Sibtain
Fazli, two weeks ago and conveyed to him that he (Sohail) wanted Mahmood
to appear at a hearing of the Judicial Commission scheduled for March 3
in Lahore. Sohail had told Fazli that he wanted the PCB chairman to attend
the hearing so that he could cross-examine him regarding the conversations
which had taken place between him (Sohail) and Mahmood. Sohail reiterated
that he would not withdraw his allegations against some of his team-mates
and would pursue them till the end, even if it meant sacrificing his career.
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