ICC seeks Salim Malik tapes

ICC seeks Salim Malik tapes
AGENCIES

LONDON, MAY 23: The International Cricket Council (ICC) are to investigate copies of tapes allegedly implicating former Pakistan captain Salim Malik in match-fixing.

The ICC move follows a report in the British Sunday paper News of The World saying Malik had claimed both his side and Australia had taken bribes to lose a game during australia's 1994 tour.

An ICC statement on Tuesday said: ``The ICC has asked its lawyers to contact the News of The World accepting the offer to provide copies of tapes in their possession allegedly inplicating Malik in match-fixing.

``When the tapes are made available to ICC, they will be passed to the chairman of the Code of Conduct Commission, Lord Griffiths, pending the appointment of the anti-corruption investigation.``It is anticipated that this appointment will be made in early June.''

Latif suspects PCB men
DUBAI: Former Pakistani skipper Rashid Latif suspects that some of the past officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) were also involved in match-fixing with Malik.

``Six boards have come and gone in Pakistan since 1995 when I raised the alarm that certain Pakistani players were involved in match-fixing but nothing has happened,'' Latif said, adding that it appeared that some of the officials were also being given a piece of the ``pie''.

Talking to The Gulf News, he said, ``I don't have to say anymore, the `main accused (Salim Malik)' himself has been caught admitting that he fixed matches if we go by the news from England...Malik vindicated my allegations''.

He said that despite his having provided sufficient proof to the PCB, it had taken no action on match-fixing.

Latif said, ``people also had hopes from the present PCB chief Gen Tauqeer Zia when he took over but still nothing has happened and Justice Mohammed Qayyum's report is under wraps. We are waiting to see the guilty being punished.''

Latif said, ``whatever I have been saying is now being confirmed by Malik himself when he boasted to the undercover reporters.'' However, he expressed surprise that Malik had spoken so openly to the undercover reporters. ``How can he (Malik) be so gullible?''

He said the guilty players believed that they were ``untouchable'', adding ``I think it is all the power of money that has corrupted players as well as officials. The officials can neither swallow the truth nor can they ignore it.''

BCB refutes charges
DHAKA: The Bangladesh Cricket Board on Tuesday refuted Malik's allegation that Bangladesh's upset win over Pakistan in a World Cup league clash last year was fixed.

``This is not our concern, because our players were not involved in any such matter,'' BCB president Saber Hossain Chowdhury told reporters here.Chowdhury said: ``We played well in that match, but if the other side fixed the tie, then it was their matter''.