Islamabad, Aug. 30: Former Pakistan batting great Javed Miandad wants his nation’s entire cricket team to be replaced for the rest of the tour of England in the wake of match-fixing allegations against some of its players.
Miandad, the director general of the Pakistan Cricket Board, also wants the team management to return home ahead of the remaining two Twenty20 and five one-day internationals against England starting from next week.
“It will be tough for the players to handle this pressure as they will not be in the right frame of mind,” Miandad told The Associated Press.
“It’s better that they should be replaced with new players, and I think we have enough talented players in reserve,” he said, adding, “I am more than willing to accompany the new team and coach them in the Twenty20 and one-day internationals.”
Pakistan pacemen Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were accused by a British newspaper of being paid to deliberately bowl no-balls during Thursday’s opening day of the fourth test against England. Pakistan lost the match by an innings and 225 runs and the series 3-1.
If match fixing allegations are proven against any players, Miandad wants harsh sanctions to be imposed.
“If anyone is found guilty, he should not be spared and punished strictly,” he said.
Miandad, however, declined to make any comments when asked if he felt it was time for PCB chairman Ejaz Butt to resign.
“Look I don’t want to go into that. The chairman has been appointed by the chief patron of the board and only he can decide who will run cricket affairs,” he said,” adding, “I am a member of this board and I have the interest of Pakistan cricket at heart. That is why I am suggesting these radical steps.”