Former Pakistan cricket team captain Rashid Latif has blamed the International Cricket Council (ICC) for its lack of coordination with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), saying that the sport’s governing body should have shared information over the latest “spot-fixing” allegations.
The ICC has launched an investigation into Friday’s ODI between Pakistan and England at the Oval after the sport’s governing body received information from a British newspaper on the scoring pattern in the match.
“As a normal practice if one has information about a crime such as murder beforehand, then he would try and stop it by informing the relevant people,” the Daily Times quoted Mr Latif, as saying.
“If the ICC had information prior to the (Oval) match, then it should have shared them with the Pakistan team management,” he added. Mr Latif also said that the PCB was right in expressing disappointment over ICC’s handling of the entire controversy.
“The ICC is there because of its members and being a full member the PCB should have been given due respect,” he added. The former wicket keeper also said that the ICC should now find ways to discourage players from interacting with bookmakers.
“The supreme body (ICC) has to make laws to discourage malpractices in cricket, but new laws such as power play and other fielding restrictions are actually providing players and fixers opportunities to indulge in fancy fixing,” Mr Latif said.