A match in Pakistan’s domestic Twenty20 competition last month is under scrutiny over allegations of foul play and under-performance by some players, an official said. Karachi Zebras lost the Super Eight tournament game by 31 runs against a weakened Peshawar Panthers side missing injured star Pakistan paceman Umar Gul.
The win lifted Peshawar to the semi-final and relegated Karachi. “I myself felt some foul-play and several players under-performed so the manager of the team has submitted a report in which he has advised investigation,” Siraj Bukhari, president of the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), told AFP on Thursday.
Bukhari did not say whether players under-performed for money but said a committee will investigate and submit a report to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Former Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, named by jailed English player Mervyn Westfiled in a spot-fixing scandal involving a 2009 county match, was part of the Karachi team but had to pull out after bowling only four balls due to a fitness problem.
Kaneria, arrested in 2010 but not charged, faces an England and Wales Cricket Board disciplinary hearing next month. He has denied any wrongdoing.
“We are looking into the matter and await details from the KCCA,” PCB spokesman Nadeem Sarwar told AFP. “Pakistan Cricket Board has zero tolerance on fixing.”
Pakistan has been in the centre of match-fixing controversy since Australian players Shane Warne, Tim May and Mark Waugh alleged they were offered a bribe by then home captain Salim Malik to under-perform during Australia’s 1995 tour.
Last year three top Pakistan players — Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer — were banned and later jailed over a spot-fixing scandal on the tour of England in 2010.
