Pak Senators ask ICC to investigate Indian bookies involvement

Lahore, Feb 10 (PTI) Pakistani Senators have called onthe International Cricket Council to explore the alleged linksbetween the Indian bookmakers and the international cricketplayers.

The Senators blamed the alleged Indian betting mafia forthe recent spot-fixing scandal involving three Pakistanicricketers in Salman Butt, Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Aamir,who have been banned for different periods by theInternational Cricket Council (ICC) anti-corruption tribunal.

"Even Mazhar Majeed has admitted of the involvement ofIndian bookies in such illegal activities and their attemptsto corrupt players. The ICC should now also make theirinvestigations into spot-fixing scandal wide based and includeIndian connections as well," Senator Ghaffar Qureshi, whoheads the Senate standing committee on sports told reportersafter a meeting with the Pakistan Cricket Board officials.

Senator Haroon Akhtar said it was necessary to expose therole of Indian bookies in corruption in cricket.

The Senators were briefed by the PCB on the recentspot-fixing scandal involving the Pakistani trio and thecaptaincy controversy before the World Cup and other cricketrelated issues, including the government report on themilitants attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in 2009.

Senator Qureshi said that the committee was disappointedat the failure of the authorities to take action against thepolice officials who were blamed for negligence on duty, whichled to the attack on the Sri Lankan team.

"At our next meeting we will summon the IG police, homesecretary, interior secretary Punjab and the federal interiorsecretary to sort out this issue. Those responsible fornegligence must be punished," he said.

He said the PCB had also briefed the committee on theissue of wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider fleeing to England andseeking asylum there.

"We have been told that when the board contactedZulqarnain, he said he was no longer interested in playingcricket. This is an unfortunate incident and we will speak tothe foreign ministry to ensure such incidents do not takeplace in future," he said.

Former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad also had earlierurged the three banned players to co-operate with the cricketboard to expose the mafia behind the spot-fixing scandal ininternational cricket.