Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Rameez Raja in an interview similar television In a scathing touch upon his former teammates Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, he mentioned that these whose names have been concerned in match-fixing ought to by no means have been introduced again into the system.
“I feel nobody should have got a chance to come back to Pakistan cricket. If Wasim Akram’s name is in it, and he was censored for not cooperating, right? It was a borderline case. If I were to take the decision at that time, I would have banned him forever,” Raza mentioned.
Raja’s remark was on Justice Qayyum’s report on match-fixing, through which the names of Akram and Younus have been written a number of occasions. Akram was fined and stripped of the captaincy, however continued to play cricket for Pakistan, Waqar, alternatively, had two separate stints because the workforce’s head coach.
“You brought them back into the system. I wasn’t in power at that time. We were told to play with them and work with them, and that’s it. Nobody knew how to deal with it. So many people in were involved. I don’t know what was the compulsion,” Raja mentioned.
In his report, Justice Qayyum wrote, “The evidence against Wasim Akram has not come up to the expected level, mainly because of Ata-ur-Rehman’s self-inflicted injury. This commission is inclined to give him the benefit of doubt. However , has found some evidence to cast doubt on his integrity. Thus, this commission recommends that he be removed from the captaincy of the Pakistan Cricket Team and a person of impeccable character be appointed. Furthermore, he is to be condemned He should be put under surveillance and his finances should be probed.”
Justice Qayyum advised ESPNcricinfo in 2006 that “a soft corner” for Akram might have influenced his sentencing.
Raja additionally mentioned that tainted cricketers shouldn’t be allowed again into the system. When requested in regards to the trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif – who have been banned for spot-fixing in 2010.
Amir returned to the Pakistan workforce and represented the workforce in a number of World Cups; However, throughout Rameez Raja’s tenure, the left-arm pacer was dropped from the workforce.
“I am very clear. People say they have got punishment, go ahead. But I have experienced such situations,” Rameez mentioned.
In an interview with The Guardian this November, Akram mentioned that the match-fixing allegations in opposition to him “came as a blow”. So traumatized that he didn’t learn Qayyum’s report through which he and eight of his companions have been fined till he started engaged on his memoir Sultan.
He says that his conscience has at all times been clear, however it’s unhappy that the rumors nonetheless persist. “People can discuss Wasim Akram, top-of-the-line left-handed batsmen, Pakistan and Lancashire and so on, and that is how I’m normally seen by you guys within the UK. But in Pakistan, the rumors persist – ‘He’s a match-fixer’ – and it hurts.
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
