Javed Miandad
former test cricketer, currently coach
On one occasion, I was informed that there had been match-fixing but I refused to believe it. The person concerned put me on telephone conference with that third player. Two of the players were agreeing and two were not. I disclosed this fact to Imran Khan immediately on telephone. As a result, we decided to bet the amount of the runners-up prize on the Pakistan team in Sharjah. That match was won by us.
The manner in which the Pakistan team played and lost certain matches led me to the conclusion that there was some truth in the allegation regarding match-fixing and betting. There are different methods of match-fixing and the players have to give indication to show that the match has been fixed. In 1992-93 when I was captain, I was subsequently informed by Idrees, brother of Hanif Kentbury [a book-maker], that he had bought three of my players, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younus and another whose name I don’t remember.
I know Saleem Parvez who has friends who are involved in gambling. If he (Saleem Parvez) says that he had paid money to some Pakistani players in Sri Lanka, it must be true. I believe that the Australian players were telling the truth. In their culture nobody accuses another without any foundation. I strongly recommend that the culprits be punished sternly. They should be banned for life and even if we have to sacrifice the whole team we should do so in order to salvage the country and the cricket team.
I know that in Sri Lanka Saleem Parvez was staying in the same hotel where the Pakistani team was staying. In one of the matches in the Australasia cup, Saeed Anwar had retired hurt and amazingly he came back to bat at No 9. He should have come back much earlier. The modest total of 162 runs was by no means a difficult target to achieve (in) 50 overs. It is not understandable as to how Pakistan could not achieve the target. Once Mushtaq Ahmed confided to me that the evil of match-fixing in the team is going on and once he was also involved.
So far as I know, even the veteran Pakistan team which recently visited India was also involved in this malpractice. The domestic match to which Imran had referred was the match in which I was captain of Habib Bank. On the day subsequent to that match, I was informed that the match was fixed. This information was given to me by one Afzal of Bisco carpets. He disclosed that five of the players had been won over.
In order to fix a match, it is not essential that the captain of the team must also be involved. Five key players suffice. In the said match, Salim Malik and Ijaz Ahmed were also playing for Habib Bank Limited. The names of the players disclosed to me by Afzal were Salim Malik, Ijaz Ahmed, Akram Raza, Nadeem Ghori and Naveed Anjum. What I have heard is that the senior players have been influencing younger players also in order to persuade them to indulge in match-fixing.
Aamir Sohail
former Pakistan captain
I am in possession of the original affidavit sworn by Ata-ur-Rehman which I produce before this commission. I made a statement to the press that I was not afraid of telling the truth and I reiterate that this match-fixing business was going on and some players who were not indulging in the same like myself, Ata-ur-Rehman, Aaquib Javed and Rashid Latif were being constantly harassed by some players and outsiders.
During the Singer trophy in Sri Lanka, Saleem Parvez came to my room and entered into some talk with me. I however told him that whatever he was planning was not going to happen as far as I was concerned. When we were going out to bat Saeed Anwar said, ‘I have heard something that the match is fixed therefore, we should bat carefully’. I enquired the reason. He said we are going to lose. Anwar was batting very well. A message came from the dressing room through Zahid Fazal, twelfth man, and immediately Anwar retired, saying he was not feeling well which came as a surprise to me. During the South Africa tour, Anwar was in good form and was not making runs. When I and Aaquib Javed were sitting with him in the hotel, he said he knew he wasn’t getting runs because he had taken money for fixing the match and that it was a curse from God, because even after taking oath on the Quran, he had taken money…. We told him that he should pray for forgiveness and pay some ‘Kafara’.
During the World Cup (’95), when we landed in Delhi, Akram went to a night-club and it was on the same day when he was injured. I asked Akram that we should talk about tour strategy and he should see a physiotherapist. However, the next day the physiotherapist told me he was looking for Akram who was not available. Two days before the match I asked Wasim whether he was fit enough to play. He replied in the affirmative and said that on no occasion was he going to miss such a crucial match. It was strange that before such an important match there was no team meeting although generally it is done before all matches. I again asked Wasim Akram and he told me he was playing after taking some injections. He never indicated he was not playing. It was only 5/10 minutes before the toss that I was informed that Akram was not playing. The morale of the team went down. We had no time to plan strategy. He told us that time that he had an injury on his ribs but in the newspaper he stated he had suffered a shoulder injury. Dan Kiesel told me the injection he gave Akram would keep the pain away even if the flesh had been cut off. I was further informed by Kiesel that after he gave the injections to Akram he told me (sic) that the pain had travelled to another place which looked very strange.
Before the Australasia cup final in ’94, I received a call from an Indian book-maker whose name I do not know that he wanted to see me. As a cricketer I had to be polite to my fans. Therefore I allowed him. When he came, he offered me Rs 25 lakh for getting out before scoring 10 runs and also getting Saeed Anwar run out. This offer was spurned by me. I went out for dinner and when I came back there was a team meeting on in which it appeared that certain other players had also been offered money. We therefore decided to take oath on the Quran before the match that each one of us would play to the best of his abilities.
During the second Sahara cup match, Akram was captain. When we were fielding, he went away for a while and being vice-captain, I took over. The wicket was taking turn. I employed the fielders around the batsmen and succeeded in getting two wickets. When Akram came back, he was very angry and asked me what the hell are you doing. I said ‘I am trying to win the match and have taken two wickets for you’. He was very angry.
I was told by Aaquib Javed that he was offered a car which he refused but Waqar Younus had taken the car. Rashid Latif was the world’s best wicketkeeper but he was dropped and so was the case with Basit Ali and Ata-ur-Rehman. Ata-ur-Rehman was judged the best bowler against India in 1994. He was dropped in the Sri Lanka tour which was astonishing. It was for the first time during the Christchurch match against New Zealand in ’94 that I heard about match-fixing.Majid Khan was very upset and he banned telephone calls of all players. It was the same match about which At-ur-Rehman told that he was paid by Akram to bowl badly. Many strange things happened during the match. It was a bowler-friendly wicket and the ball was swinging around and we got out very cheaply and at one time the other side was 45 runs for three wickets. It was surprising that I was asked to bowl on that wicket, though it was suited to fast bowlers. In 1994, I was in very good form and was scoring lots of runs. However, at many times I was run out mainly due to the call made by other players. In the second final of the Mandela trophy, I was run out on 71. The other batsman at the crease was Ijaz Ahmed who had made the call.
During the match at Sharjah, I was not feeling well but Akram asked me to play. I told him I can open the innings if we bat first and if we have to bat after the fielding sufficient time had to be given to me to rest… and thereafter I was promised that I shall be batting at a lower position. Surprisingly, when we came back from fielding I was ordered to open the innings. I reminded Akram of his promise but he was adamant. I scored 1/2 runs and got out because I could not move my foot. This match was against England. There came a time when we were in a winning position. However, strangely enough instead of Moin Khan and Azhar Mahmood who were in good form, Akram promoted himself in the batting order. He however scored 4 runs in 19 deliveries. Pakistan lost that match by 8 runs. It was the fifth match against England in the Singer trophy. Adam Hollioake, English captain, came out with the statement that he was approached by bookmakers for fixing the matches. Saleem Parvez told me he had paid money to Salim Malik, Mushtaq Ahmed, Inzamam and Waqar. This disclosure was made by him in the presence of Rashid Latif.
Majid Khan
chief executive officer, PCB
I produce a written statement which is duly signed by me and everything contained therein is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief. It is not possible for one or two players to fix matches without involving others. There are large-scale rumours which lead me to the conclusion that other members of the team were also involved.
After the Quadrangular matches, I confronted Haroon Rashid and later Akram. (I told them) their strategy was poor instead of sending in-form batsmen at the top order, they sent out-of-form batsmen. Akram replied he was not aware who was in-form and who was out-of-form (or) that he was committing any mistake. After the West Indies series which we won, we went to Sharjah. If we look at the score-sheet of Sharjah which I produce we will find that the same mistake i.e. sending out-of-form batsmen at the top order was repeated. In the match against the West Indies, Akram went to bat ahead of Azhar Mahmood and Moin Khan. The same was the case in the match against Sri Lanka, which slowed down the game. I went to Sharjah for a couple of days and confronted Haroon Rashid with these mistakes. His answer was that if the captain was unwilling to win the match, what could the coach do? Akram had not played during the entire summer season due to a shoulder operation. Prior to the tournament he had played only one Test. Against South Africa in which Azhar Mahmood had scored lots of runs he had failed. But Akram batted ahead of Azhar.
In my view, those who are found guilty of match-fixing and betting must be dealt with in a manner which could set an example; those against whom there are suspicions should be investigated about their assets. We shall at the board level provide details of the money which was paid to the players from which we can have a fair idea of their assets and receipts. The eyes of cricket-playing countries are focused on Pakistan as to how this matter is being dealt with and that they will also follow suit if need be. We can be the leaders in this field.
Imran Khan
former captain
I was captain from 1982 to 1992 except for few occasions when I was unfit. During the period I played cricket, one incident I should mention is that in India while Asif Iqbal was captain there was some allegation that there was betting on a Test. Asif Iqbal had declared the innings at a stage when Pakistan had not scored more runs than India. There were rumours that it was a bet on who would score more runs in the first innings. In 1989, during the Australasia cup, Javed Miandad rang me up that four of our players have been sold out. It was the final and whatever money we had won in the side matches we made a bet of that on Pakistan winning and we won the match. On another occasion one of the players levelled allegations against Miandad while he was playing in the World Cup but that was not believable as no single player can fix the match. As match-fixing involves guaranteeing the result whosoever are the good players of the team must be implicated. And, without the knowledge or consent of the captain no team can indulge in match-fixing. I believe match-fixing has taken place as players have made allegations, including the current captain (Sohail). Moreover, there are statements made by members of the Australian team, and other Pakistani players like Rashid Latif. In my opinion after I have left cricket there has been match-fixing and betting. When I was working Intikhab Alam was manager and I always found him to be a decent person. If he has stated that there has been match-fixing, he should be believed. The match-fixing as a matter of fact started from domestic cricket. In the United States in 1919 during the baseball finals one match was fixed. The entire team was banned forever and a fine was imposed with the result that no one dared to indulge in such malpractice. In ’94 when allegations of match-fixing surfaced I went to the board which at that time was headed by Arif Abassi and told him in the presence of Javed Burki that stern action should be taken against the culprits even though other players might subsequently lose matches. In my opinion expediency came into the way of the administrators in imposing some punishment as at that time the Pakistan team was very strong and they did not want to disrupt it. Stern action must be taken against the culprits to save Pakistan cricket, including bans for life and fines.
Ata-ur-Rehman told me that he was paid money by Akram to bowl badly. This was during the last one-day international in New Zealand. Mudassar Nazar too told me that other players had informed him that they had indulged in betting in two-three matches.
Saleem Parvez
formerly with the National Bank of Pakistan
I went to Sri Lanka when Pakistan was playing in the Singer Cup (in 1994). I stayed for one month, for some days in the same hotel where the team was. Most of the matches played by Pakistan and other teams are fixed.In this activity, Salim Malik and Mushtaq Ahmed are the leaders and they at the appropriate time involve other players also. Once I overheard Salim Malik and Mushtaq talking about having a match fixed. I overheard them saying they have to lose their match. This conversation took place in the hotel corridor. I went to Sri Lanka at Mushtaq’s insistence who said I should come to Sri Lanka so as to see some matches and maybe something comes out of it. These players have been indulging in match-fixing even before that but not in my presence. Mushtaq and Salim Malik had received $100,000 from me on behalf of someone for fixing the match in Sri Lanka. The amount was paid so that Pakistan should lose the match, which they did lose. It was a match against Australia. Intikhab Alam is also involved in this match-fixing. He has remained manager of Pakistan and has put up two factories here. In my view matches in South Africa and Zimbabwe were also fixed. So was the quarter-final in Bangalore as I think that Ijaz Ahmed deliberately got out while playing rash.
I acted on behalf of my friends whose names I can’t disclose for security reasons. They are not book-makers but one of their friends is. I carried $100,000 with me. I had taken this money to Sri Lanka as I knew the team is going to sell the matches to Kerry Packer or to Bakhatar and therefore, I thought that why I should not try. I handed over the dollars to both of them who were together in their hotel room. The two players had contacted me directly in this connection. They had asked for a larger amount but I told them I have only $100,000. (24.10.98)
Intikhab Alam
former manager, Pakistan
I played for Pakistan from ’59 to ’78. I was captain of Pakistan team for seven years. I have been appointed as manager on and off for nearly 17 years. In 1994 when Salim Malik was captain at Sharjah we reached the final. One day before the final I started receiving calls from 6 pm onwards alleging that the match had been fixed and 5/6 players were involved. These calls continued till 10 pm but they did not disclose their names. I became worried and called members to my room… where they assembled till 11.30 pm. I impressed upon them the importance of winning the match which was the final against India. I asked the liaison officer to bring a copy of the Quran which he did the next day before the start of the match and at my instance all team members took the oath that they would play to the best of their abilities. Pakistan won the match.
Thereafter we went to Sri Lanka. In the Singer Cup our first match was against Australia whom we bowled out for 166. Despite being 80 for 1 at one stage we lost. Naturally, I was very concerned. I called a meeting in the dressing room. I told them exactly what I thought of them. Thereafter we went to the hotel where I received a telephonic call. The caller did not disclose his name, but he told me he had lost Rs 40 lakh and that 4-5 players had sold themselves out. The caller talked to me for an hour and was furious. I tried to pacify him and said that in the absence of concrete proof I could not take any action. I called 2/3 players to my room. Out of them, one was Basit Ali who confessed he was involved in match-fixing. I personally felt he made that disclosure as his conscience was pricking. I also called Waqar Younus and Salim Malik who denied the allegation.
