Pakistan face fixing probe

Karachi:  Pakistan cricket is once again facing claims of match-fixing, with a parliamentary committee yesterday summoning the sport’s top officials to answer questions in its probe into the allegations.

“The [parliamentary] standing committee on sports has summoned PCB chairman Ijaz Butt, Australian tour coach Intikhab Alam, former captain Younus Khan and other officials on Monday,” the committee said in a statement.

The officials have been summoned to a hearing on Monday, days after video footage of a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) meeting was leaked to the media, showing players and former officials raising suspicions about match-fixing during the Australia tour.

The footage showed Alam and his deputy, Aqib Javed, recording statements that wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal was involved in match-fixing in the second Test in Sydney, which Pakistan lost after holding a winning position.

Akmal dropped Australian batsman Michael Hussey three times and missed an easy run-out, with Hussey going on to accumulate 138 (not out) in the second innings. Pakistan, chasing a modest 175 to win, lost the Test by 36 runs despite leading by 206 runs after the first innings.

Pakistan suffered a whitewash on its December-February tour of Australia, losing all three Tests, all five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 match, prompting the PCB to investigate.

Following the PCB’s inquiry, the board banned Younis and Australia tour captain Mohammad Yousuf for an indefinite period, while former captain Shoaib Malek and Rana Naved-ul-Hassan were banned for one year and fined heavily. Kamran Akmal, Shahid Afridi and Umar Akmal were also fined heavily.

At the time PCB said it had banned and fined the players for “infighting and breach of discipline”, but said there had been no match-fixing.

However, the video footage showed Alam raising suspicions at the PCB inquiry about Akmal’s performance in Sydney.

Is this another blow to Pakistan cricket? Or will they emerge from this controversy stronger and better?