Pakistan cricketers were fixing 'almost every match'

Published>Sun, Sep 05 10 11:07 AM

London, Sep 5 (IANS) Pakistan Test batsman Yasir Hameed reportedly told a British tabloid that his teammates have been fixing 'almost every match' and that he himself had refused bribes. However, he later denied his statements.

In another sting operation by The News of the World, Hameed said that he had refused bribes worth 150,000 pounds from a corrupt bookmaker to throw matches and lost his own place in the squad that saw his career damaged as a result.

Hameed's revelations come after the British tabloid promised that last week that it would come with more news on the spot-fixing scandal involving three Pakistani players, captain Salman Butt, fast bowlers Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Aamer.

Hameed, who made a comeback in Test cricket after three years with the Oval Test against England last month, said that the Sydney Test in Australia earlier this year was rigged for 1.8 million pounds.

'They've been caught. Only the ones that get caught are branded crooks. They were doing it (fixing) in almost every match. God knows what they were up to. Scotland Yard was after them for ages,' the 32-year-old batsman said.

'It makes me angry because I'm playing my best and they are trying to lose. The guys that have got done have got themselves killed. They're gone - forget about them,' he said.

Hameed later denied giving any interview to The News of the World, that is owned by international media magnate Rupert Murdoch and is the Sunday sister paper of the popular The Sun tabloid.

'I can never think of blaming my teammates in match-fixing. I have just told the team management that the newspaper is claiming I have given them an interview. This is not correct,' he said.

In the sting operation, Hameed said that he became a victim of betting cartels' vengeance for refusing to fix games.

'It's because of all these wrong things that I was ousted, because I wouldn't get involved. If you sat here and said, 'I'm a bookie and I want you to fix the match tomorrow' - I've met lots of people like that in the past and I refused. They offered me handsome money. I could have come to see you in a Ferrari. They give you so much money that you can live out your dreams, buy a flash car,' Hameed told the undercover reporter.

Hameed said he was offered huge amounts of money -- up to 150,000 pounds.

'I wouldn't get involved. That's why I was out of the team for two years - two years! Now god has punished them. I played in the (Lord's) match. Even though I flopped, these guys have been caught out. Just look at my average. It's 38, 39 (runs scored per innings). Which player in the world has that average and is dropped? If I was playing for any other country, what would I be now? I'd be the team captain,' he said.

Hameed had a sensational start to his international career in 2003, scoring 170 runs in his first innings and another 105 in the second, against Bangladesh. In his first 30 One Day Internationals, he scored more runs than any other batsman. Despite that he has bounced in and out of the national team.

'The truth is I've never sold a match for Pakistan. I've always got by on legitimate money. I come from a middle-class hard-working family,' he said.

'The 150,000 pounds (paid to Majeed) was just (a deposit) to show what would happen on this ball, what would happen on the other ball. In the future, imagine how much money they would have made. Imagine how many pounds they would have made!' he said.

'He (Majeed) pays the players whatever the rate is. I think they get 20,000 pounds or 25,000 pounds for no balls. God knows what was the deal, I didn't ask.'

Hameed asked how Asif had been able to amass a big property portfolio.

'I'm having a house built and it's stopped halfway. I'm building it from legitimate money and work has stopped. Asif - how many matches has he played and how many have I played? I've played 80 matches and he's played around 50. He has four mansions. Where did they come from? He has just built a house in Italian style in Lahore. You go there and you will think you are in Italy - that's how good his house is,' Hameed said.

On skipper Butt, Hameed said: 'He's a nice guy basically. I don't know why he's gone like this because of money.'

Hameed also pointed out that the 2004 ICC Champion Trophy semi-final at the Rose Bowl in Southampton between Pakistan and West Indies was also rigged.

The West Indies won the match by seven wickets despite posting just 132 runs. Pakistan capitulated to 131 all out.

Source: Web Search