No match-fixing at World Cup, say Pakistan quartet

Four leading Pakistan cricketers told an official inquiry on Saturday that no match-fixing had taken place in the last World Cup in England.

Current captain Waqar Younis, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Saeed Anwar and Moin Khan recorded statements before Justice Karamat Bhandari's commission at the Lahore High Court, saying Pakistan had not played fixed matches against Bangladesh or India or in the one-sided loss to Australia in the final.

"The four denied match-fixing had taken place," Pakistan Cricket Board legal adviser Asghar Haider told Reuters from Lahore.

He said ul-Haq had even suggested that any players facing the charges should not play in Sharjah for the upcoming Champions Trophy until their names were cleared.

"He believed that such players should not be included in the team at the moment until the inquiry finishes and everything is clear," said Haider.

The Bhandari Commission was appointed by the government to probe into allegations that Pakistan played fixed games against Bangladesh and India during the 1999 tournament.

Former PCB chief executive Majid Khan and former fast bowler Sarfraz Nawaz testified they believed some players were involved in match-fixing.

Wasim Akram, the captain during the World Cup, was also scheduled to testify but there was not enough time to record his statement.

A date will be set for his appearance after the Champions Trophy in Sharjah, which ends on November 4.

The loss to Bangladesh was the biggest shock of the tournament, but Haider said Anwar testified the players probably took the match lightly because Pakistan had already qualified for the next round.

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Mail Cricket Editor