Mon, Sep 06 10 08:21 PM
Karachi, Sep 6 (PTI) Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif today said the ICC need to re-design its laws and rules to root out the spot and match-fixing menaces from the game as the current rules only abet the malpractice. Latif, who played an instrumental role in exposing the nexus between Pakistani players and bookmakers 16-years back, said he wrote to the ICC in 2003 when he was captain and warned them about the dangers of spot-fixing. "In that letter, I told them to change the rules and laws in one-day internationals which, were more prone to spot-fixing. I even offered to assist the ICC''s Anti- Corruption and Security Unit but I got no response," he said. "The key is to design laws and rules that do not allow players and bookmakers to manipulate things. I told the ICC remove the fielding restrictions and they introduced the power-play which only encouraged fixing," he said. Latif wrote the letter when was leading the side in England. The wicketkeeper-batsman said that it was next to impossible to completely eradicate spot fixing or betting from cricket like in all other sports. The veteran of 37 Tests and 166 one-dayers decided to retire to draw the attention of the authorities towards match fixing elements in the national team. He claimed the then captain Saleem Malik was fixing matches. Latif played a big part during the long judicial inquiry conducted by Justice (retd) Malik Qayyum between 1998-2000 into allegations of match-fixing in the Pakistan team that eventually led to a life ban on Malik and fines on five other players. The former captain said he would recommend having a similar fielding restriction right from the beginning till the last over of a match to curtail fixing. "Why can''t we have more overs per bowler or having four fielders in the circle all the time." Latif also felt that he wouldn''t rule out that some PCB officials were also involved in the shady business of spot fixing.
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