Akmal threatens to sue coaches over match-fixing allegations

Published>Sun, May 23 10 07:23 PM

Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal has threatened to sue the team's former coaches Intikhab Alam and Aaquib Javed if they don't apologise for suggesting that he was involved in match-fixing during the disastrous tour of Australia.

Akmal said he wanted a public apology from Intikhab and Aaqib for raising suspicions about his performance on the tour earlier this year.

"I want an apology from them or else they should substantiate their claims that I deliberately left a run-out in the Sydney test. They must come up with evidence that I am linked with bookmakers," Kamran said.

The wicketkeeper-batsman made it clear that he was fed up trying to explain that he was not involved in match-fixing.

"I go out everyday and they are people passing comments on me. My family is deeply disturbed with these fresh allegations," he said.

Intikhab and Aaqib told a Pakistan Cricket Board inquiry committee that they had their suspicions about the performances of Kamran and all-rounder Rana Naved in Australia.

They specifically expressed suspicions about the performance of Kamran in the second Test in the lost Sydney during which the keeper dropped four catches and missed an easy run-out.

The video recordings of the former coaches caused an uproar and reignited the match-fixing issue and the ICC also stated it was examining Pakistan's dismal tour of Australia this year when they were whitewashed in the Test and one-day series.

Though PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt has made it clear that the inquiry into the Australian tour is a closed chapter and they found no evidence of match-fixing, Kamran who left on Saturday for a film shoot in London said he wanted an apology.

"If they don't apologise or don't substantiate their allegations I will go to court. I wanted to go to court earlier also against a media outlet but the PCB persuaded me against do so," he said.

"But this time since both Intikhab and Aaqib are PCB employees, when I return I will talk to the board Chairman about my intentions," he added.

Kamran said that he was surprised at the statements of both the former coaches.

"They remained coaches since last year and if they had suspicions about my performance in Sydney why did they pick me for the one-day series that followed," he stated.

Source: Web Search