My life at risk in Pak: Zulqarnain

LONDON: Pakistan wicket keeper Zulqarnain Haider Thursday said his life is still at risk in Pakistan and the government is unable to provide necessary protection to him, Geo News reported.

He maintained his stance while giving interview to British interior ministry officials in connection with his application for seeking political asylum in UK.

Zulqarnain Haider alleged that corruption is rampant in Pakistan  Cricket

“The government of Pakistan failed to provide security to people like Benazir Bhutto and Salman Taseer,” he said, adding, the government was unable to provide necessary protection to him.

Sources said that Zulqarnain Haider was asked 80 questions during the interview.

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Pakistan trio face judgement day

DOHA: A make-or-break anti-corruption tribunal against Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer opens in Doha Thursday with the players facing lengthy bans if found guilty. The hearing will be held behind closed doors at the Qatar Financial Centre from 0630 GMT and is scheduled to run until January 11, although lawyers have indicated a verdict may come earlier. The three face charges of spot-fixing during Pakistan's tour of England last year in a scandal that rocked the sport. It is alleged that they conspired in the bowling of deliberate no-balls -- claims they all deny. They were provisionally suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in September, with the world governing body's code of conduct carrying a minimum five-year ban if corruption charges are proved. The maximum punishment is life out of the game. The scandal came to light when Britain's News of the World claimed that seven Pakistani players, including Butt, Aamer and Asif, took money from bookie Mazhar Majeed to obey orders at specific stages in the Lord's Test in August. Scotland Yard detectives raided the team hotel in London, reportedly confiscating a huge amount of money from Salman's room. The three-man independent hearing is being led by code of conduct commissioner and leading lawyer Michael Beloff of England, aided by Justice Albie Sachs from South Africa and Kenyan Sharad Rao. It is set to open with a statement from the prosecution followed by a response from representatives of the three players. All three have serious legal heavyweights going in to bat for them with paceman Asif, 28, represented by Allan Cameron, brother of British Prime Minister David Cameron. Former Test captain and opening batsman Salman, 26, is represented by British-based lawyer Yasin Patel, while 18-year-old fast bowler Aamer's legal team is headed by Shahid Karim from Pakistan. British newspapers said Pakistan one-day captain Shahid Afridi and head coach Waqar Younis have been summoned as prosecution witnesses. While the ICC has made clear it will not be commenting until a verdict is reached, chief executive Haroon Lorgat told the BBC recently he was confident of the case against the players. "We need to send out a strong message and that is part of what we want to achieve," Lorgat said. "We've worked hard at collecting all the evidence that we would require to make the charges stand." The Pakistan team are currently touring New Zealand, but speaking ahead of the hearing, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt told reporters that corruption was a curse that must be stamped out. "It has to be an all-out effort from all concerned to ensure that such wrongdoing does not occur in the future and we at the PCB are doing all we can to curtail all such practices," he said. "The PCB and ICC have taken a lot of steps, future plans have been drafted to pursue a policy of zero tolerance to corruption." The scandal is seen as the worst in cricket since that of South Africa's Hansie Cronje. A decade ago the former South Africa captain, who died in a mysterious plane crash in 2002, was revealed to have accepted money from bookmakers in a bid to influence the course of games as well as trying to corrupt his team-mates.

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Pakistan spot-fixing trio could discover fates by next Tuesday

• Tribunal chaired by Michael Beloff QC begins today
• Chairman hopeful of early resolution in Qatar hearing
The Pakistan cricketers at the centre of last year's spot-fixing allegations could find out their fates by next Tuesday. The chairman of the independent tribunal that will decide the fate of Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt said today that he hoped for a quick decision.
The three players, who face a range of charges under the International Cricket Council's anti-corruption code, will appear before the three-person tribunal as part of a six-day hearing that begins tomorrow in Doha, Qatar.
Chaired by Michael Beloff QC, it will seek to reach a definitive verdict on the allegations of spot fixing during the fourth Test at Lord's that blighted Pakistan's tour of England last summer after they were revealed by the News of the World.
After they were accused of conspiring to deliberately bowl no balls at specific points of the match, all three were provisionally suspended by the ICC.
Butt and Amir failed in October in a bid to get the provisional suspension lifted, while Butt also failed in a subsequent attempt to have the hearing postponed.
"The parties have helpfully exchanged detailed submissions in advance of the hearing to seek to identify the issues that are in dispute in these proceedings," Beloff said today
"The procedure for the hearing, it has been agreed by all parties and approved by me. It is designed to ensure that all parties can be satisfied that they have been given a full and fair opportunity to present their evidence and advance their submissions."
The ICC, which has been gathering evidence since formally charging the three on 2 September last year, will make opening statements, presenting its case against each player in turn. It will then present its evidence, including witnesses who will appear in person and via telephone, each of whom will also be cross-examined by lawyers for the players and members of the tribunal.
The players will then present their defences, submitting their own evidence and witnesses. Beloff did not guarantee to come to a decision by next Tuesday, the last scheduled day of the hearing, but said he would do so if practicable.
All three players, who have protested their innocence, face the prospect of lengthy bans if found guilty.
The ICC chief executive, Haroon Lorgat, said last month that the ICC had "worked hard at collecting all the evidence that we would require to make the charges stand".
Of the potential punishments, he said: "We would want to be proportional but at the same time we do not want to show any leniency. These are severe issues and integrity of the game is absolutely fundamental and we would not want to tolerate any of that in the sport."
The tribunal will go ahead despite the fact that the Crown Prosecution Service has yet to reach a decision on whether to press charges against the three men under English law, although it has now received a full file of evidence from the police.
"The CPS special crime division is reviewing a file of evidence in relation to allegations of match-fixing by Pakistani cricketers," a spokesman said. "We are not awaiting any further substantial evidence from the police at this time and will make a decision in due course."

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Afridi is not a leader

LAHORE: Pakistan’s limited-overs captain Shahid Afridi has come under heavy fire from the country’s former players who questioned his leadership ability in the wake of the team’s recent Twenty20 series-loss in New Zealand.
Following Pakistan’s 2-1 loss – the final-game win halting a series of six consecutive Twenty20 defeats – former players have urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to rethink their decision of making him the captain for the World Cup that starts next month.
“He was given enough time to prove his ability as captain,” former captain Aamir Sohail told The Express Tribune. “What I see is that he’s not a leader as the captain must have sense of the game and know how to improvise. Every time Pakistan lose, he comes up with a different story.”
Since Afridi’s appointment, Pakistan’s performance has remained poor despite having beaten Australia in a two-match Twenty20 series in England. Pakistan failed to make it to the final of the Asia Cup, lost the Twenty20 and One-Day International (ODI) series against England and South Africa before losing to New Zealand as well.
Sohail also lashed out at Afridi’s retirement from Test cricket after just one game into his comeback. “He was even tested in the longer format of the game earlier but it was a disastrous experiment for the board. They should understand his role in the side as he doesn’t even have a guaranteed spot ion the side as a batsman and isn’t a useful bowler any more.
“The PCB has ample time to change ahead of the World Cup and I see Younus Khan and Misbahul Haq as good options to replace Afridi in the ODIs.”
Advice for the captain
Former wicket-keeper Moin Khan has urged Afridi to stop criticising his own players in public.
“A captain should refrain from criticising his players in public because it can affect the team spirit,” said Moin. “Afridi is a very experienced player and should be aware of it.”
Despite his indifferent form, Afridi has not been short of excuses for his team’s poor performance, lashing out at team members in public.
Another former captain Wasim Akram felt that Afridi’s leadership in the ongoing New Zealand tour has not been up to the mark.
“One saw a lack of leadership in the team and the players also did not play to their ability and if they continue playing this way then they will also lose the Test and ODI series in New Zealand,” said Akram.
Tour match today
Pakistan will go into their only warm-up match before the first Test hoping for an improved performance after a 2-1 Twenty20 series loss in which batsmen failed to live up to expectations except in the inconsequential last match.
The three-day match against New Zealand XI will also allow Pakistan to field players from the Test squad – including captain Misbahul Haq – who arrived on the eve of the final Twenty20. Adnan Akmal, Taufeeq Umar, Khurram Manzoor and Azhar Ali will also get a chance to make their first appearance on the tour and press for places in the playing eleven for the first Test.
The first Test of the two-match series starts in Hamilton from Friday. Pakistan come on the back of drawing a two-match series against number two-ranked South Africa in the UAE.

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Pakistan battle out a draw

The touring Pakistanis were made to look second best in their only warm-up match before the first Test as they conceded a 97-run first-innings lead but managed to draw against the New Zealand Cricket XI.
The tourists looked on-course for a poor total before Test captain Misbahul Haq rescued his side with an unbeaten 126 while other batsmen fell around him. The captain, who has scored three half-centuries in his last three Tests, owed much to the tail as well, which wagged when the team needed it to as the last four wickets added 139. The last-wicket stand between Misbah and fast-bowler Tanvir Ahmed yielded 51 runs as Pakistan aimed for damage control following its top-order failure.
The Pakistanis got early breakthroughs in the second-innings as they reduced the hosts to 25 for two, with first-innings’ double centurion Brendon McCullum falling for a 15-ball 18.

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Ajmal to miss opening New Zealand Test

KARACHI: Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal will miss the first Test against New Zealand after returning home to attend the funeral of his father.The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said that necessary arrangements had been made to facilitate Ajmal’s return after his father died on Tuesday.
“He is devastated by the sudden death of his father who expired after being taken to hospital complaining of fever in the cold weather,” said a board official.
PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt and Chief Operating Officer Subhan Ahmad offered their condolences, while the board’s spokesman said, “The entire PCB family express their deepest sympathies to Ajmal on this sad occasion. May the soul of the departed rest in eternal peace.”
Ajmal, one of Pakistan’s main spinners in the last two years, was a certain selection for the first Test tomorrow. The PCB also said it would announce the squad for the one-day series next week.

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Afridi rejects criticism, wants support ahead of World Cup

KARACHI: Pakistan Twenty20 and One-Day International (ODI) captain Shahid Afridi has asked for support ahead of the World Cup and said that criticism before the global event will discourage the young team. Following the recent Twenty20 series loss to New Zealand – the third consecutive series defeat after England and South Africa won 2-0 – former players lashed out at Afridi and questioned his leadership skills.

I don’t want to react to the criticism,” Afridi told The Express Tribune. All I expect is support for my team which is going through a tough phase with the World Cup not very far away.The former cricketers are well aware of the current crisis in the team and should avoid comments that would leave a negative impact before the tournament.Afridi said that times had changed and with the team facing various issues, the attack was uncalled for.It is not the same time as it was when Imran Khan and Javed Miandad were playing. The situation now is totally different.“Some [ex-cricketers] just wait for a bad performance to launch an attack on the team or on certain players. It happens. The same people praise you when the team does well.”Afridi optimistic on best squad for World CupThe captain, however, was confident of forming the best line-up for the World Cup in which Pakistan may miss the experienced trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir. The three players will appear in the International Cricket Council (ICC) hearing on the spot-fixing case later this week.

“There is no doubt we are missing the three players but we still have good players who will form the team for the World Cup.”

Afridi, who was also criticised for team selection in the Twenty20s against New Zealand, said he tried different combinations keeping the World Cup in mind.“Many of our World Cup probables were tested in the T20s because we want to give them maximum appearances.“The clear picture for our World Cup line-up will come after the ODI series against New Zealand which is very important for us.”Pakistan, following the two Test matches against New Zealand, will play a six-match ODI series that would be the team’s last assignment before the World Cup starts on February 19.Afridi to give inputShahid Afridi will meet the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ijaz Butt in Lahore today where his input on the World Cup squad will be taken into account.According to a PCB official, Butt will discuss team selection with the captain before giving a go-ahead for the 30-man squad finalised by the selection committee.“The PCB chairman wants input from Afridi on team selection while performance in the T20 series will also be discussed in the meeting,” said the official.The World Cup preliminary squad is expected to be announced tomorrow, a day before the deadline which the ICC extended following a request by the PCB.

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LAHORE: Out-of-favour wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal breathed a sigh of relief as he was included in Pakistan’s 30-man squad for the World Cup.

Mohammad Yousuf, who retired earlier this year only to make his comeback in the summer, was also included in the squad while former captain Shoaib Malik and leg-spinner Danish Kaneria were left out. Akmal was one of three players awaiting clearance by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) but remained confident of being included in the squad that takes part in the tournament. “I’m a true country man,” Akmal told The Express Tribune. “This is what I’ve been trying to prove and I knew I’ll return because I was determined.”
The PCB had delayed naming the squad due to the clearance issue before the International Cricket Council (ICC) extended the deadline to January 5. The board’s Integrity Committee sat through a series of meetings to discuss the three players’ issue who were reportedly under the ICC’s scanner.
“There’s a lot of speculation regarding the clearance of the players,” said the PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt. “The Integrity Committee gave its views on some players to the selection committee which was taken into consideration before the 30 players were selected for the World Cup.”
Chief selector Mohsin Khan, meanwhile, requested the nation to back the selected players who needed encouragement to win the World Cup.
“We’re satisfied with the squad and confident that we’ve selected the best squad from among the players available,” said Mohsin. “The selection committee met on multiple occasions before finalising the preliminary squad.”
Yousuf included
Apart from Akmal, Yousuf was also recalled after being left out of the New Zealand tour because of fitness problems. Another notable inclusion was of all-rounder Rana Navedul Hasan who makes it to his national squad for the first time after getting his year-long ban overturned.
Akmal has missed action since the England tour, which was marred by spot-fixing allegations. The 28-year-old wicket-keeper was left out for the South Africa series in the UAE and was later overlooked from the Twenty20 and Test squad for the New Zealand tour despite recovering from an appendix operation.
On the other hand, Malik has been out of favour since the Twenty20 series against Australia in England and played in the second Test against Australia following Afridi’s retirement at Lord’s. Akmal, Malik and Kaneria had appeared before the PCB’s Integrity Committee and submitted details of their assets and accounts last week.
Kamran Akmal
“This is what I’ve been trying to prove and I knew I’ll return because I was determined. Despite being heavily criticised throughout my bad patch, I was motivated to make a return.”
Nasir Jamshed
“I never gave up the idea of making a return to the Pakistan team. In the past, I was left out due to constant injuries. However, now I’m ready to serve my country again.”
Squad
Shahid Afridi, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Taufiq Umar, Nasir Jamshed, Mohammad Yousuf, Younus Khan, Misbahul Haq, Umar Akmal, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Naved Yasin, Kamran Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed, Salman Ahmed, Abdul Razzaq, Yasir Arafat, Rana Navedul Hasan, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Yasir Shah, Zulfiqar Babar, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanvir, Tanvir Ahmed, Junaid Khan, Aizaz Cheema, Asad Ali.

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Afridi to testify at ICC hearing

KARACHI: Pakistan's limited-overs captain Shahid Afridi will testify at a hearing of players suspended for alleged spot-fixing despite believing he has nothing to add to his earlier testimony, a report said Monday.

Afridi has been summoned to appear before the International Cricket Council's (ICC) anti-corruption tribunal for a hearing of charges against Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer, in Doha from January 6-11.

Salman, Asif and Aamer were suspended over claims of spot-fixing during Pakistan's Lord's Test against England in August and face severe punishment, including lengthy bans.

Both Afridi, along with team coach Waqar Younis and security manager Khawaja Najam, who will also attend the Doha hearing -- made statements to the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit last month.

According to Pakistani media, these statements link the suspended players to alleged bookmaker Mazhar Majeed and allege that large sums of money were confiscated from the players' hotel rooms.

Afridi reportedly said he had not lied to the ICC, and had given a full account of what he had witnessed during the team's tour of England.

"I have already said what I had to say and what I saw," Afridi was quoted as saying by Pakistani daily Jang on Monday. "I could not have lied before the ICC because they already had enough information about the case."

Afridi said he would participate in the hearing by teleconference and not attend in person because of family problems. Waqar is expected to participate by telephone as he is on tour with the Pakistan team in New Zealand.

The ICC tribunal, headed by Michael Beloff QC, is likely to use Afridi, Waqar and Najam as witnesses in the light of their statements last month.

Afridi said he had no animosity towards any player.

"I have a clean conscience... I was asked about Majeed (the alleged bookmaker) and his brother Azhar (Majeed) so whatever I knew I told the ICC," said Afridi.

Pakistan's tour of England last June to September was hit by a sting operation arranged by British tabloid News of the World, which claimed that several players took money from a bookmaker to perform specific acts during the Lord's Test, such as bowling a no-ball.

Scotland Yard then raided the Pakistani team's hotel and reportedly confiscated money from players' rooms and later interrogated Salman, Asif, Aamer and a fourth player, Wahab Riaz, who was not suspended.

The ICC provisionally suspended the three players on September 3.

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New Zealand XI tighten screws on Pakistan

AUCKLAND: The New Zealand XI continued to keep the pressure on Pakistan in a warm-up match before the first Test, reducing the tourists to 234-8 at the close of the second day.

With both sides fielding near Test-strength sides, Pakistan trail New Zealand by 150 with two wickets in hand and one day remaining.

New Zealand were dismissed early in the day for 384 built on the back of a pugnacious 206 by Brendon McCullum and then Chris Martin swiftly removed the Pakistan top order.

Martin dismissed Mohammad Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar and Younis Khan to have Pakistan at 22-3 before Misbah-ul-Haq led the fightback.

Misbah was unbeaten on 99 at the close of play, with Martin on three for 52 and Daniel Vettori three for 26.

The match ends Tuesday and the the first Test starts in Hamilton on Thursday

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Pakistan crush sorry New Zealand

Pakistan cruised to a 103-run win over New Zealand in the third and final Twenty20 international at Christchurch.Having already lost the three-match series after defeat in the opening two games, Pakistan opener Ahmed Shehzad's 54 off 34 balls helped his side reach 183 for six as they sought to salvage some pride.

Abdul Razzaq, who hit a superb 34-run cameo, then took figures of three for 13 and
skipper Shahid Afridi picked up four for 14 as Pakistan bowled out their opponents for just 80 to record their biggest victory in T20 cricket.

New Zealand were never in with a shout of getting the required runs, with their top four batsmen all dismissed for ducks.

After winning the toss, dismissed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez (34) shared an explosive 81-run opening stand that was finally broken by James Franklin, with Hafeez caught at extra cover.

Shehzad brought up his maiden T20 fifty in 41 deliveries, but was trapped lbw in the 11th over by Franklin when going for consecutive boundaries.

New Zealand managed to stem the flow of runs in the middle overs, and also picked up the wickets of Younis Khan (five), run out by Nathan McCullum, and Asad Shafiq (eight), caught at long-off.

But with Afridi out for just 14, Umar Akmal provided stiff resistance in the final overs with his 30, while Razzaq smashed three boundaries and three sixes in the final two overs for his unbeaten 11-ball innings.

In sharp contrast, the hosts lost their top five batsmen with just 11 runs on the board.

Martin Guptil, Jesse Ryder, Dean Brownlie and Ross Taylor departed in the space of just 13 deliveries without troubling the scorers, with Razzaq and debutant Tanvir Ahmed doing the damage around Brownlie's run out.

Following Razzaq's third scalp - Franklin bowled for three - Scott Styris led the fight back with some quick boundaries, but spinner Abdur Rehman bowled Peter McGlashan to leave the Black Caps reeling at 36 for six.

Afridi got rid of McCullum, trapped lbw for eight, before clean bowling both danger-man Styris for 45 and Tim Southee (nought) in successive deliveries.

And the Pakistan captain wrapped up proceedings in the same fashion, bowling Kyle Mills for seven, as victory came with just over four overs remaining.

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Afridi hails 'matchwinner' Razzaq

Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi did not hold back in his praise for "matchwinner" Abdul Razzaq.

Pakistan on Thursday, cruised to victory in the third and final Twenty20 international against New Zealand at Christchurch.
Despite having lost the three-match series 2-0 on Tuesday, the visitors put in a solid performance with both bat and ball, with Razzaq providing a 34-run cameo to set the Black Caps a target of 184.
And the paceman blew away the hosts' top order with figures of three for 13, as New Zealand were skittled out for just 80, giving Pakistan their biggest-ever win in T20 cricket.
Afridi himself claimed four scalps during the second-inning wicket frenzy, but insisted Razzaq was the architect of their morale-boosting win.
"He's a matchwinner, I've always seen him as one," Afridi said. "In the past there have been some games where victory looked unlikely, but he was able to see us through."
Pakistan have endured a tumultuous 12 months both on and off the field but Afridi maintained the win was good way forward for the country's cricketing future.
He said: "All the boys need is confidence and this game today shows what Pakistan is about and what talent we have.
"Yes we lost the series but today's win was good in order to keep our morale high."
New Zealand will go into next week's Test series on a relatively high note as well, given that they ended their 12-match losing streak in the shorter format with victory in the first T20 of this series at Auckland.
But captain Ross Taylor was still left to contend with today's below-par batting performance that saw the Black Caps lose their top four batsmen for ducks.
"Pakistan batted very well, put a very good total on the board," he said.
"But when your top four batsmen get out for nothing, it's a pretty bad taste."
When asked if the hosts had become complacent after achieving the series win in the second clash at Hamilton, Taylor added: "No. We wanted to go out and win the series 3-0 after what's happened over the last few months but Pakistan bowled really well too.
"We were looking forward to a good start given how they started, but the way Razzaq and Afridi bowled it was just outstanding."

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PCB delays announcement of ODI squad

PCB has delayed the decision on granting clearance to some senior players for the ODI series against New Zealand.

Only after the committee's clearance Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal, Danish Kaneria and Yasir Hameed could be considered for selection in Pakistan's World Cup Preliminary squad and ODI series in New Zealand.

The committee met in Lahore on Thursday and interviewed former captain Malik, wicketkeeper Akmal, leg-spinner Kaneria and Hameed in a marathon session but no details were released by the Board on the outcome of the meeting.

"The integrity committee not only questioned the players but also went through the documents about their assets submitted to the Board.

"Apparently some documentation issues with the players still remain but the committee is likely to give a decision particularly on Malik and Akmal soon," the source said.

The national selectors are scheduled to meet today to finalise the one-day squad for New Zealand and the World Cup preliminary list of 30 players.

The International Cricket Council has already given the PCB an extended deadline of up to January 5, 2011 to submit the preliminary squad.

The committee had asked for some documents from the senior players after suspicions were raised about the sources of their income and assets following the spot-fixing scandal.

"No details are available on what exactly happened at the meeting but apparently all the players were given a thorough grilling by the committee members and the PCB Chairman about how they had acquired their assets and their sources of income.

"Retired Justice Jamshed Shah who is a member of the committee also questioned the players in legal terms," the source said.

The source said Kaneria was being investigated by the committee over his questioning in England by the Essex police while he was playing county cricket for Essex .

Kaneria and another Essex player Mervyn Westfield were investigated by the police after claims surfaced that they were involved in spot-fixing during a Pro-40 match while playing for the county against Durham in September, 2009.
Yasir Hameed apologises to PCB for his interview
Test discard Yasir Hameed has apologised to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for being involved in an interview, in which he was shown talking about spot-fixing and match-fixing.

The interview by 'News of the World' had added fuel to the fire as just before Hameed's interview, a sting operation by the same British tabloid had led to suspension of Pakistani trio of Salman Butt, Mohammed Asif and Mohammad Aamer on suspicion of spot-fixing.

Hameed met PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt and members of the integrity committee on Thursday in Lahore and insisted that even though the undercover reporter kept on pestering him with questions about match-fixing, he hardly said anything.

Hameed said he was wrong to meet the reporter without permission of the team management but still maintains that he had no idea that the newsman was taping the 'general' conversation he was having with him.

"Yasir has submitted an unconditional apology to the Board Chairman and requested him for pardon. The batsman has said that he wants to be considered for national selection again," a reliable source told PTI.

Hameed, who has played 25 Tests and 56 One-day internationals, was dropped from the ODI series after his interview appeared during the team's tour.

"Yasir has pleaded that the undercover reporter of the NOW posed himself as a businessman interested in signing a endorsement deal with the Pakistani players.

"Yasir said he mostly mumbled and nodded his head when asked if so-and-so match was fixed. He has said that he was just taking part in general discussion and didn't know he was being taped," the source said.

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'Impossible to eradicate spot-fixing'

PCB chief Ijaz Butt believes that it is impossible to completely eradicate spot-fixing.

"To control the spot-fixing, especially prior to its happening, is almost impossible not only for the PCB but for the ICC as well," said Butt in an interview to News One channel on Thursday.

"It has to be an all out effort from all concerned to ensure that such wrongdoing does not occur in the future," the PCB chairman added.

On the measures taken by the PCB to eradicate corruption from the game, butt, without elaborating, vowed to come down even harder on the culprits in the future.

"PCB and ICC have taken a lot of steps, future plans have been drafted to pursues a policy of zero tolerance to corruption," Butt maintained.

The spot-fixing scandal had rocked world cricket after a British tabloid revealed that a bookmaker Mazhar Majeed had bribed three Pakistani players -- Test skipper Salman Butt, pace duo Muhammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif to deliberately bowl no-balls during the fourth Test against England at Lord's.

The ICC quickly sprang into action and provisionally suspended the trio in early September. Their hearing is due next month in Doha.
Butt''s lawyer reaches Lahore for spot-fixing hearing

Suspended Test captain Salman Butt's lawyer has reached Lahore from London in relation to the charges of spot-fixing which are to be heard against the Pakistani player in Doha next month by the International Cricket Council anti-corruption tribunal.

Yasin Patel, a barrister of Indian origin based in the United Kingdom, is now representing Butt in the spot-fixing allegations case after the Pakistani player changed atleast three lawyers in the past few months.

Patel said from Lahore he couldn't discuss anything about the case because of its confidential nature but confirmed he was in town with relation to the case.

"Patel is scheduled to also meet with the Pakistan Cricket Board's legal advisor, Tafazzul Rizvi in Lahore," one source said.

Patel has been hired by Butt after being represented by lawyers, Aftab Gul, Khalid Ranjha and Aitzaz Ahsan and associates in the past few months.

Gul and Ranjha had represented him in the ICC tribunal hearing in Dubai in November which heard Butt's appeal against his provisional suspension by the ICC and rejected it.

One source said that Patel was also in Lahore to talk to the PCB about their decision to suspend Butt's contract and withhold payment of nearly 8.5 million rupees which is outstanding tour fees, bonuses and match fees for this year.

Butt, along with Muhammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif were provisionally suspended by the ICC in early September after a 'News Of The World' revelation that Mazhar Majeed had bribed them to deliberately bowl no-balls during the fourth Test against England at Lord's.

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Akram: Afridi lacks leadership skills

Wasim Akram feels that Shahid Afridi's leadership in the ongoing New Zealand tour has not been up to the mark.Akram told a television channel that Pakistan lost the Twenty20 series in New Zealand because the players were not playing as a unit and if they continue like this it will be difficult to make an impact in World Cup starting next month."Because the team is not playing as one they are facing many problems and their performances are suffering," he said."One saw a lack of leadership in the team and the players also did not play to their ability and if they continue playing this way then they will also lose the Test and ODI series in New Zealand," the former left-arm pacer said.Akram though felt that the difficult conditions in New Zealand and the presence of many inexperienced players in the team had also contributed to the poor performance of the side.He said it was obvious that Pakistan were struggling against strong teams without pacers Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Aamir in their bowling attack."The bowlers face problems against stronger teams and we are missing Aamir and Asif who were developing into a world class new ball opening pair," he said.Another former captain Moin Khan has, however, advised the PCB against appointing another captain at this juncture, saying it would be making a big mistake to change the leader so close to the World Cup."It would be a big folly to even think about changing the captain now because the World Cup is now very close and there is no time at all for experimentations," he said.Moin said that it would be sensible for the PCB and selectors to stick with the combination of Afridi and Misbah-ul-Haq and retain the former as captain for the World Cup.He also called for consistency in the selection of national teams and said the players should be allowed to settle down to perform to their potential.

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Hameed apologises for accusing players

Yasir Hameed said that he has apologised to the PCB for accusing fellow team-mates of match fixing.

"Yes, I have apologised to the board, I have told them I am very sorry I broke the players' code of conduct which requires them to get permission from the team management before meeting anyone even for a business deal or before speaking to the media," Hameed said.

"I told the board that although I was trapped and misled into the interview, I am sorry for hurting my fellow players and also causing damage to Pakistan cricket's image," he said.

Hameed, 32, who has played 25 Tests and 56 ODIs, was summoned by the PCB's integrity committee yesterday for the interview that appeared in September, just two days after the ICC had suspended Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir for their alleged role in spot fixing.

The interview also led to Hameed being dropped from the Pakistan team during its summer tour of England.

"I was told that I was going to meet a businessman over a endorsement deal, I didn't know that person was an undercover reporter for the "News of the World" tabloid," he said.

"And throughout the interview, while I wanted to talk about the endorsement deal, he kept on pestering me with questions about fellow players and fixing," Hameed said.

"I was trapped into the whole thing but still I am responsible for my actions and for the embarrassment it caused to fellow players and board," Hameed said.

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Pakistan WC squad not announced yet

The Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) national selection committee has delayed announcing the preliminary squad for the World Cup.

The national selectors concluded a two-day meeting in Lahore today but postponed the announcement of the squad for the tournament, scheduled to be played in the sub-continent from February, as the trio is yet to be cleared by the PCB over their alleged links with bookmakers.
Chief selector Mohsin Khan, who chaired the meeting, admitted that the announcement had been delayed due to questions over availability of some players.
"We had lengthy discussions on performance and availability of many players. We were of the opinion that since we still have a few days before the deadline for announcing the World Cup squad it would be better to wait until there is a clarity from the PCB on the availability of certain players before announcing the 30-member preliminary squad," Mohsin said.
The PCB has already taken an extension from the International Cricket Council (ICC) on its deadline until January 5 to announce its preliminary squad. The selectors also couldn't reach a conclusion on announcing the one-day squad for the series in New Zealand in January.
Well placed sources said that the selectors were keen to have wicket-keeper Akmal and former captain Malik in the World Cup squad and were prepared to wait for clearance from the board.
"The integrity committee is still not satisfied with the details of their assets, accounts and sources of income submitted by Malik and Kamran while there is also an issue with some documents related to from leg-spinner Danish Kaneria," a source said.
The three players appeared before the integrity committee in Lahore yesterday and were questioned by the members.
The source said the integrity committee wanted to be absolutely sure before clearing these players for national selection as the PCB had given a commitment to the ICC that it would not pick any player suspected to be involved in illegal activities.
"As far as these three are concerned the board still has doubts over their alleged role and links with bookmakers," the source added.
The integrity committee was constituted recently after the ICC gave the PCB a deadline for introducing reforms in its administration and seriously implementing anti-corruption laws in Pakistan cricket.

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Akmal co-operates with investigators

Kamran Akmal has co-operated fully with PCB's integrity committee in a bid to gain clearance to resume his international career.

Akmal, who along with Shoaib Malik and Danish Kaneria has been investigated over spot-fixing allegations, has confirmed he has presented full details regarding his movable and immovable properties, and activities other than cricket, to the PCB.

The 28-year-old told PakPassion.net: "Whatever the PCB integrity committee has asked for, I have provided them.

"I have co-operated fully with the committee and I have presented all of the documents that they had requested."

Akmal felt Thursday's meeting with the integrity committee was a cordial one and hoped he would now be able to continue his Pakistan career.

"The meeting was very cordial," he said. "Of course I can't go into full details of exactly what was discussed, but I hope now that this matter is behind me and that I can now be given approval to recommence my international career.

"I've always tried to give my best for my country and will continue to do so in future."

Despite not having been charged by the board, the trio have not played for their country since their summer tour of England and were left out of Pakistan's tour of the United Arab Emirates to play South Africa.

Akmal and Malik were also recently denied permission to play league cricket in Bangladesh, despite Mohammad Yousuf being allowed to play.

The PCB were supposed to announce their 30-man provisional squad for the World Cup on December 19, but asked the ICC for a later date and have been given until January 5.

The selection committee met yesterday but have agreed to reconvene on Tuesday due to the current lack of clarity regarding the availability of Akmal, Malik and Kaneria.

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Afridi, Waqar to appear as witnesses

Shahid Afridi and team coach Waqar Younis will be produced as witnesses before an anti-corruption tribunal after an ICC request.

Pakistan Cricket Board said on Saturday that both Afridi and Younis will appear "either in person or through teleconference, depending on their convenience and subject to their professional commitments."

The tribunal will conduct the hearing of Pakistan's suspended cricketers Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir from Jan. 6-11 at Doha, Qatar.

Afridi led Pakistan in the Twenty20 series against New Zealand while Younis will be with the Pakistan team in New Zealand where the first Test begins Jan. 7.

Butt, Asif and Amir were suspended in September after a British tabloid alleged that they bowled predetermined no-balls during the Lord's Test against England.

"PCB is committed to root out corruption, in any form, from cricket and has a zero tolerance policy towards corruption," the cricket board said in a statement.

"PCB is also keen to assist the ICC anti-corruption tribunal in determining the truth behind the serious allegations being made against the three Pakistan players."

Local media reports earlier this week claimed that both Afridi and Younis had raised serious doubts over the role of the three players during the Lord's Test. Afridi reportedly told the ICC code of commission that he thought the trio looked guilty when he met them in a hotel room in London.

The reports also claimed that Younis was surprised to watch Amir bowling a huge front foot no-ball and even told the fast bowler 'what the hell was that?' during the break.

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Lorgat promises tough actionsLorgat promises tough actions

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat has not ruled out using the lie detector test in a bid to rid the game of cheats.

Former Australia captain Steve Waugh suggested using the tests as a way of the sport regaining its integrity following problems in 2010 with allegations of spot-fixing.
Pakistani skipper Salman Butt and pacemen Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir face an ICC tribunal which begins on Thursday to look into allegations of spot-fixing during last summer's tour of England.
"I did say some while back that we should keep our minds open and employ any sort of means to ensure the integrity of the sport," Lorgat told the Sportsweek programme on BBC Radio Five Live.
But Lorgat warned the use of such methods might not be allowed.
"There are legalities and there are practicalities," he added.
Lorgat would not comment on anything relating to the independent tribunal which will sit in Dubai.
He said: "I would want to leave it to those judges and refrain from making any comment on that subject."

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