Pakistani cricketers Kamran Akmal and Wahab Riaz, whose names have been doing the rounds for their alleged involvement in match-fixing, are ready to face any investigation by the sport’s governing body. Their names were mentioned during the spot-fixing trial in London for their involvement in corruption with tainted players Salman Butt, Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Aamer, who were jailed by a London court last month for corruption and cheating.
During the trial it was reported that the agent for the tainted trio Mazhar Majeed had told undercover reporter Mazhar Mahmood that there were other Pakistani players involved in spot-fixing and mentioned the names of Kamran and Wahab. “I am open to any inquiry; they can check my assets and accounts. I will cooperate with them but I want this stigma removed once for all,” Kamran was reported as saying.
The two players were discarded for the ongoing one-day series Pakistan plays in the UAE against Sri Lanka. “I don’t like these media reports insinuating things about me. The selectors dropped me for the one-day series against Sri Lanka that is their decision. But to say that I have been dropped because of some spot-fixing allegations is not acceptable,” Wahab Riaz said. Kamran said he could not understand the fresh allegations but an official in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was quoted by a wire agency that besides performance issues, Wahab was also dropped for the one-day series against Sri Lanka because his name had cropped up again during the trial in London .
“We just wanted to be sure and safe that is all,” the official said. Wahab said he would like to see the PCB offer more support to the players and he was ready for any inquiry.
“What I know is that the ICC (International Cricket Council) inquired about my assets and other things late last year and the PCB also held an inquiry about me. They both cleared me to play in the World Cup so what is the problem now,” Kamran said. Kamran said even last year after the spot-fixing scandal broke out he had sent a legal notice to Mazhar Majeed for taking his name during the spot-fixing issue. “He replied to the notice saying he had been misquoted and he meant something else,” Kamran added.
Kamran said he was ready to face any ICC inquiry. Kamran also suggested that the PCB hold regular checks on the assets and accounts of all players so that Pakistan’s image can be cleaned up and all doubts removed. “I would suggest that they have three month to six month checks on player assets and accounts. I am ready for this. If this can be done it would help a lot,” he said.
