Miandad urges banned trio to expose people behind betting

Karachi, Feb 9 (PTI) Former Pakistan Test captain JavedMiandad urged the banned trio of Salman Butt, Muhammad Asifand Muhammad Aamir to expose the people involved in illegalbetting and corruption in international cricket.

Miandad, who is the director-general cricket in thePakistan Cricket Board (PCB), said he felt saddened by thedamage the spot-fixing scandal had done to the image ofPakistan cricket.

"I am hurt by the damage caused to our cricket and ourimage by the sanctions imposed on Salman, Asif and Aamir, butit is not possible they were working alone with MazharMajeed," Miandad said in an interview.

"I am convinced that there is a entire mafia workingbehind spreading the menace of spot-fixing in our sport,"Miandad, a veteran of 124 Tests, said.

"I don''t believe that only three players can dospot-fixing. I suspect that a lot of other people are involvedin this racket," he added.

Miandad urged the three players, who have faced sanctionsfrom the International Cricket Council anti-corruptiontribunal, to co-operate with the authorities in exposing themafia.

"These three should expose this mafia and help the PCB asbecause of them, Pakistan cricket has got a bad name."

The former national coach said that he would soon meetwith the PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt to discuss some proposals thatwould ensure such incidents didn''t take place in future.

Miandad also noted that in order to stop the spot-fixingmenace, authorities needed to carry out a widespread operationin the cricket world and expose the players who are corrupt.

Butt was last week banned for 10 years by theanti-corruption tribunal on charges of spot-fixing, whilepacers Muhammad Asif was banned for seven years and MuhammadAamir for five years by the tribunal.

Miandad had no doubt that the three players had letPakistan cricket and the PCB down by not admitting their guiltearly on when they were accused of spot-fixing by the ''News ofthe World'' newspaper.

"These players should have told the PCB the entire truthinstead of continuing to insist they were innocent," he said.