Former Pakistan opener Mudassar Nazar on Sunday revealed that his team faced immense pressure in the early 1990s as a defeat, especially against India, would inevitably spark suspicions of foul play and match-fixing among fans back home.
Tainted former captain Salim Malik is ready to co-operate with the International Cricket Council and Pakistan Cricket Board to get their clearance, which will allow him to earn a living from the game. In a video message, the former Test captain, who was banned in 2000 for life for match-fixing by the PCB on the recommendations of the Justice (Retd) Malik Qayyum judicial commission report, also apologised to the nation and his fans for his actions.
Pakistan's Supreme Court could initiate "high treason" proceedings against former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, who failed to appear before it for the second day in running on Thursday, a close legal aide of the former President fears.
In an audio recording obtained by Human Rights Watch, General Qayyum appeared to be advising an unidentified person on what political party the person should approach to become a candidate in the upcoming parliamentary election, now scheduled for February 18, 2008.
In contradictory signals, Pakistan's top government lawyer on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that the general elections would be held as per schedule while the President's Constitutional Adviser ruled out such a possibility.Attorney General Malik Qayyum also told the apex court, "There is no martial law in the country and the army has not taken over the affairs of the government".
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on Thursday finalised the order to revoke emergency on December 15, prior to which the Constitution will be amended to ensure that the decisions he has taken since November 3 are not questioned in courts.
Qayyum said that Sharif could be barred from contesting the January polls as he had been sentenced to life imprisonment on corruption charges.
Amid deepening political crisis, embattled Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf was on Thursday huddled with his key aides in cobbling up a caretaker government ahead of the general election as police and anti- emergency demonstrators traded fire in Karachi leaving two children dead.
The Pakistan Cricket Board reiterated that it would withdraw the life ban on former captain Salim Malik if the court rules in his favour. The remarks came from the PCB's legal counsel at a hearing in a Lahore local court, where Malik has appealed against the life ban and fine recommended on him by the Justice Malik Qayyum match-fixing inquiry commission seven years ago.
Kaneria after denying his involvement in spot-fixing and pleading his innocence finally admitted in late 2018 to a foreign television network he was guilty.
Pakistan's only cricketer to get a life ban for match fixing, Saleem Malik is convinced that cricket and other sports can never be rid of corruption. "These fixing matters they can never be completely eradicated from cricket or other sports," Malik told PTI in an interview. "They can be curtailed at the most because these people who want to make easy money from cricket will always come up with new ways to target players and officials and make them greedy," he said. Malik, 54, was banned for life in 2000 on the recommendation of the Justice (retd) Malik Qayyum inquiry commission into match fixing in Pakistan cricket.
Irked by Wasim Akram questioning PCB's decision to form an inquiry committee on team's disastrous show in Asia Cup, influential board official Shakil Sheikh has threatened to open old files related to legendary fast bowler's alleged involvement in match-fixing. "I don't think Wasim is 'King of Swing'. I think he is 'King of Betting'. He should think before criticizing anyone because his past is known to all and old files in the board can be opened," Sheikh, who is the head of PCB's inquiry committee told Geo Super channel on Monday night. As far as old files are concerned, Sheikh was referring to report submitted by Justice Malik Qayyum on match fixing inquiry at the start of the millennium. Sheikh, who also heads the Islamabad regional cricket association made references to his name (Wasim) being linked to betting in cricket and in the Justice Malik Qayyum match-fixing inquiry. Sheikh was upset with the remarks made by Akram recently at a press conference in which he questioned the purpose of the board appointing an inquiry committee on the eve of the World T20 to probe into the national team's poor performance in the Asia Cup.
Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar on Monday claimed that match-fixing was at its peak in 1996 and said the environment in the dressing room was far from conducive.
The International Cricket Council might have confirmed that the tainted trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir can return to cricket after the expire of their bans, but a divided house seems to have emerged in Pakistani cricket.
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