Pak Senators back 'exemplary' punishment for cricketers

Lahore, Mar.16 (ANI): In what could add to the turbulence in Pakistan cricket, members of the sub-committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Sports have alleged that some of the members of the national cricket squad were involved in match-fixing during the doomed tour Down Under and backed the exemplary punishment handed out to senior players of the team.

Members of the sub-committee held a meeting with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt and other board officials at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) here.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, which was called to seek answers from the PCB as to why is took such harsh decisions to ban and fine seven players, Senator Haroon Akhtar said there were evidence against more than one player of being involved in the banned act.

"We were briefed on the tour with documents, and there are verbal, video and solid proofs that one or more players were involved in match-fixing," The Daily Times quoted Akhtar, as saying.

"The PCB has done a good work over the issue and it deserves credit for providing every information to the Senate committee," added senator Tahir Mashhadi.

The sub-committee, however, did not disclose the names of any of the player suspected of match-fixing.

"Till completion of the entire investigation it is not appropriate to disclose the names of the players," it said.

When asked that whether any 'tainted' player was included in the recently announced squad for the ICC Twenty20 World Championship, the senators replied that they have recommended to the PCB not to select any such player.

Akhtar also took a swipe at the PCB top brass, saying that it was evident that their weaknesses allowed such activities go unnoticed.

"It seems that match-fixing has been going on for at least the last two years. When the management is weak, such things will happen," he added.

Haroon said that the PCB should take exemplary action against the players involved in match-fixing.

"No matter how good they are, I believe that the culprits should get exemplary punishment," he added.

Mashhadi said the committee has made it clear that there should be zero tolerance for match-fixers.

"Match-fixing, it's apparent also led to grouping and infighting within our team.

We've asked the Board to throw out such players because there is no dearth of talent in our country.

We can get new Miandads, new Zaheers, new Imran Khans to replace the players who've been selling our country," he said. (ANI)