LAHORE – Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal has denied he attempted to influence the outcome of last year’s Test against Australia in Sydney. The second match of the three-game series in January 2010 saw Australia recover after posting 127 in their first innings to win the match by 36 runs, after dismissing Pakistan for 139 second time around.
Akmal was quoted by Herald Sun: “I will never ever think like that. I play for love of cricket, not for money. I have never been asked to do this (match-fixing).” Akmal came in for criticism and his performance was scrutinised after he dropped Mike Hussey three times as the Australia batsman made a second-innings century. Akmal said: “I didn’t drop catches to help Australia.
These things happen. Not every day is a good day in cricket. Sometimes you have good days and other days you have bad games but I have tried very hard in every game I play for Pakistan. “I have ignored all this, I play for honesty, I play to win for my country.”
I play for honesty, says Kamran Akmal
