Pakistan delay comment on match-fixing report

Pakistan's cricket chief delayed comment on the International Cricket Council's report into corruption on Wednesday but promised a full investigation into allegations of match-fixing during the 1999 World Cup.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Tauqir Zia told Reuters from Lahore that the report needed "in depth study", adding the board would respond on Thursday.

The report, a response to the match-fixing scandal which erupted last year when former South Africa captain Hansie Cronje admitted taking money from bookmakers, said match-fixing and corruption was still a problem in cricket.

Zia added that he would launch a full investigation into allegations that Pakistan threw matches against India and Bangladesh during the World Cup in England two years ago.

"As far as the World Cup allegations are concerned, Pakistan is committed to carry out judicial investigations and a request has already been put up to the government," he said.

In the report, ICC anti-corruption chief Paul Condon said there had been "persistent allegations" that the match against Bangladesh at Nottingham was rigged by bookmakers. He did not refer to the match against India.

Zia said he expected a Supreme Court judge to be appointed soon by the government to lead the investigation.

"We would request a quick and swift inquiry. We hate to delay the investigations which would halt the process of cleaning the menace of corruption from cricket," he said.

The inquiry is unlikely to begin before July, as the Pakistan cricket team are involved in a test and one-day series in England and are not scheduled to return until June 24.

Wasim Akram skippered the Pakistan team that lost to Australia in a one-sided World Cup final at Lord's.

He was censored, fined and stripped of his captaincy after an inquiry led by Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum into earlier allegations of corruption.

Akram is currently touring England along with Waqar Younis, Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mushtaq Ahmed, who were also fined and censored after the Qayyum inquiry.

CONDON DUE IN PAKISTAN
Condon is due to visit Pakistan from May 25-27 and Zia said they would discuss the alleged involvement of Pakistani cricketers in corruption.

"I am keen to listen to him and extend full support to widen his inquiry, if he asks," Zia said.

Zia is also scheduled to meet his Indian counterpart A.C. Muttiah later on Wednesday in Lahore to finalise details for the Asian test championship.

Muttiah and other members of the Indian delegation were not immediately available for comment on the report.

Condon's Anti-Corruption Unit was set up last year after Cronje admitted taking money from bookmakers for providing information.

Cronje and two other former international captains, India's Mohammad Azharuddin and Pakistan's Salim Malik were subsequently banned for life.

Mail Cricket Editor