Match Fixing News

Cross examination of Aussies delayed for inexplicable reasons

By Waheed Khan
KARACHI: No decision was taken on Monday as to how the Judicial Commission wants to cross examine the Australian players in connection with the ongoing probe into match-fixing and betting allegations against Pakistan cricketers. When contacted, Ali Sibtain Fazli, who is representing the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) at the Commission, stated that no decision had been taken on whether the Commission would question Mark Waugh and Shane Warne via a video link-up through satellite or he (Fazli) and the registrar of the Lahore High Court (LHC) would be flying to Australia to do the same. "I'll be speaking to Judge Mr Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum tonight. The Australian Cricket Board (ACB) lawyer contacted me today, and we should reach a decision by tomorrow," said Fazli, from Rawalpindi, where he had gone to attend a court hearing against former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. incidentally that case is also being heard by Mr Justice Qayyum.According to Fazli, the judge had left for Lahore by road. Fazli, however, disclosed that the ACB lawyer had informed him that the former ACB chairman, Alan Crompton, had agreed to record his statement and face any questions by the Commission. "This is a good sign and it will help the Commission a lot in its inquiry."
Asked as to what was delaying the decision on whether the Australians must be cross examined through a video link-up, he said the problem was not from the Australian side. "I don't really know because the PCB is coordinating and making arrangements for the link-up," he added. However, when 'The News' spoke to Commander Arshad Gillani, of TransWorld International (TWI), who has been approached to make arrangements for the link-up, he made it absolutely clear that
there was no technical problem involved. "We just have to secure time on satellite for video and audio connection between studios in Australia and Pakistan." 'The News' has learnt that after initially getting in touch with TWI, the PCB has yet to give them a go-head to set up the video link-up, which will cost around $10,000 for one hour of time on satellite and other facilities. It seems someone from the Pakistan side is reluctant to reach a decision on establishing the link-up for inexplicable reasons. This hold up, in turn, means a further delay in the recommendations by the Commission on the basis of its inquiry held so far. A cross examination of the Aussies and officials has become imperative in view of the confessions from Waugh and Warne that they accepted money from an Indian bookmaker for selling him information about pitch and weather conditions in Sri Lanka in 1994. With Pakistan scheduled to tour India from 21 January next and the PCB Executive Council expected to make a decision on the captaincy and team much before that, it is essential that the Commission submits its recommendations to the government by the end of this month. And this seems to be a remote possibility in the wake of the delay regarding the cross examination of the Australians.
 
 

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