Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ejaz Butt has rubbished claims of match-fixing during Pakistan’s disastrous tour of Australia even though the International Cricket Council has begun investigating Pakistan’s performance in the Sydney Test earlier this year.
Butt said the PCB had conducted its own inquiry on the team’s performance in Australia and had already penalised players for their poor showing.
“The Australian tour chapter is now closed and we have finished our inquiry. We have found no evidence of any match-fixing during the tour,” Butt said.
Pakistan were whitewashed in all the three formats — Tests, ODIs and Twenty20s — by Australia during the tour. But it was the New Year’s Test match in Sydney which came under the scanner after Australia pulled off a remarkable come-from-behind 36-run victory in that game.
Stunned by the corruption allegations, Pakistan’s parliamentary committee had summoned Butt, tour coach Intikhab Alam and former captain Younis Khan to answer questions.
Butt, however, denied that the ICC was conducting its own independent inquiry into the matter based on Intikhab and former Pakistan bowling coach Aaqib Javed’s statement before the PCB inquiry committee, where they raised suspicions about the performances of two players — wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal and Rana Naved. — PTI