Aamir''s shocker: Butt lured me into spot-fixing, Saeed resigns

Mon, Sep 27 10 07:16 PM

Karachi, Sep 27 (PTI) Barely five days after the end of their scandal-hit tour of England, fresh turmoil today gripped the Pakistan cricket team with suspended pacer Mohammad Aamir''s shocking revelation that he was lured into spot-fixing by Test skipper Salman Butt. On a day when team manager Yawar Saeed stepped down from his post, the Pakistan Cricket Board was left to do more firefighting in the spot-fixing scandal with the latest revelation. The 18-year-old left-arm pacer was suspended by the ICC for his alleged involvement in spot-fixing during the fourth Test against England at Lord''s last month, along with Butt and Mohammad Asif. Sources in the PCB said Aamir had told chairman Ijaz Butt that he never wanted to be part of this "business" (spot fixing) but was forced into it by Butt and Asif. "Aamir had gone to Butt and claimed he was innocent and a victim of the "seniors power lobby" in the team," a source told PTI. But the PCB refuted the reports with legal adviser Tafazzul Rizvi saying that the implicated players continue to claim innocence. "All three boys have been saying all along that they did not do anything wrong and they stand by it. They claim innocence and complete innocence and nothing but innocence. We are holding our investigations back at the moment and we are waiting for the Scotland Yard''s investigation report," he said. Another source revealed that Aamir, regarded as one of Pakistan cricket''s most promising young talent, had told Saeed about the pressure being exerted on him by Butt. "Aamir''s claim is that he just did what he was told to do. He is claiming innocence now and says he didn''t even know Mazhar Majeed was introduced to him by Butt and Asif," the source said. Quite a few former Test captains, and even Pakistan''s former President, Pervez Musharraf, have urged the ICC to show leniency towards Aamir, all of 18 and the quickest to take 50 wickets in Test cricket. But chief selector Mohsin Khan said that he didn''t agree with the viewpoint that Aamir should be shown leniency because of his age. "I don''t buy this argument because if you can do something wrong at 18, you can keep on doing it later as well. If these three players are found guilty they should be punished, including Aamir," Mohsin said. The chief selector insisted that no cricketer was indispensable and there should be no compromise on discipline and commitment towards your team and country. "Aamir must be punished if he is guilty. I just hope that that these three are eventually cleared because they have already damaged the reputation of Pakistan cricket and the country," Mohsin said.

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Indian cycling contingent ready to move into Games Village

Mon, Sep 27 10 07:12 PM

New Delhi, Sep 27 (PTI) A 24-member Indian cycling team for the Commonwealth Games, accompanied by their national coach Kiran Bala, will arrive at the Games village here tonight from Patiala. "The cycling team will arrive at the Games village tonight. Unlike shooters and boxers, our journey is going to be smooth," India''s cycling foreign coach Graham Seers told reporters outside the Games village here. Seers said the Indian contingent is capable of defeating legendary cyclist and Melbourne Commonwealth Games gold medallist Mark Cavendish, if provided the home support as being the host nation. "Cavendish is one of the best in the world and he is also the winner of the last Commonwealth edition. Backed by the home support, our cyclists can beat him," Seers said. Cavendish took a gold in the men''s track cycling scratch event in the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne 2006, one of two medals won by the Isle of Man that year in the Games -- the other was a bronze in skeet shooting. The gold medal triumph was the Isle of Man''s first in the Games in 20 years. Cavendish will participate in the road-race event on October 10. "England and New Zealand teams are the best in the world with more than 30 years of experience. We are also hoping to perform well against them," Seers said.

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PCB is not on a warpath with ICC: Butt

Published>Mon, Sep 27 10 07:08 PM

PCB chief Ijaz Butt today defended its decision not to suspend the three Pakistani cricketers for their alleged involvement in spot-fixing, saying that such a move would have sent a wrong message.

"We didn't take action against them and let the ICC follow its course of action. We didn't want to send out a message to the world that we believed our players were tainted. The world would have believed that the trio was indeed guilty of spot fixing," Butt said.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) suspended the trio on basis of allegations that surfaced after the fourth Test against England in Lord's last month.

Butt also reiterated that the PCB is offering full cooperation to Scotland Yard and the ICC in their ongoing investigations into the spot-fixing allegations against the players.

"Since they were only allegations against our players, we didn't suspend them, but they were withdrawn from the side," he said.

Butt also claimed that it was unfair to blame the PCB for the spot-fixing allegations that rocked world cricket.

"The players are not children and should know what their responsibilities are. They are properly briefed about everything. It is their choice on what company they keep or who they appoint as agents. We manage a national team of players not schoolboys," Butt said.

He also rubbished speculations that the PCB was on a warpath with the ICC and other cricket boards. "We have our reservations over our decision to suspend the players without prove.

"But we have cooperated with the ICC anti-corruption and security unit. And as a board we have a responsibility to ensure that no one keeps on making unsubstantiated allegations against our players," he said.

The PCB chief also confirmed that the suspended trio would not be able to take part in domestic cricket until the Scotland Yard and ICC concluded their investigation.

"These players can't play in domestic cricket at the moment," he said.

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Oz hockey star Dwyer commits to Delhi CWG

Mon, Sep 27 10 06:58 PM

Melbourne, Sep 27 (PTI) Some of his countrymen might have opted out of the Commonwealth Games due to security and hygiene issues, but veteran Australian hockey player Jamie Dwyer today said he has no concerns travelling to Delhi for the crisis-hit mega-event even though his pregnant wife is little apprehensive. "We''ve got a baby son and another one is on the way in December so my wife doesn''t really like me going to India as much as she would, say, Scotland or Canada. But she''s been there herself, in 2007, and she knows a little about how they work in India," said Dwyer, who is married to former Dutch hockey player Leoni. "She''s a little bit worried but...she''s not trying to convince me to stay or anything like that. I''m entirely comfortable about going. I''ve never had a concern about going this time to India. "I am entirely comfortable. I''ve been there three or four times before and we were lucky enough to be there in March for the World Cup," he was quoted as saying by the Australian media ahead of the team''s departure on Wednesday. So far, three Australian athletes have pulled out of the Games -- cyclist Travis Meyer, table tennis player Stephanie Sang and discus world champion Dani Samuels, citing security and unhygienic conditions. But Dwyer said he has plenty of experience of Indian conditions and will definitely be a part of the team as the Kookaburras chase their fourth consecutive Games gold. MORE PTI SSC CM

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Pak team manager Yawar Saeed quits

Mon, Sep 27 10 06:34 PM

Karachi, Sep 27 (PTI) Scandal-hit Pakistan cricket team''s manager Yawar Saeed today stepped down from his post just a week after returning from the torrid tour of England, which was marred by spot-fixing allegations. Pakistan Cricket Board media manager Nadeem Sarwar reporters that Saeed, during his meeting with PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt, requested to be relieved of his duties as national team manager. "The Chairman has accepted his request. The PCB will decide on a new manager later on for the forthcoming series against South Africa," Sarwar said. Saeed, when contacted, declined to comment on his decision stating that he had done his duty as manager in England and that his agreement with the board was on a series to series basis. "I have had a long discussion with the Chairman and he understood my point of view," Saeed said. Saeed and Butt are close friends and since Butt took over as Chairman in 2008, he has reposed faith in Saeed except for the tours to New Zealand and Australia early this year. Saeed, who has come under fire for his handling of the team in the spot-fixing controversy in England, had himself indicated that he wanted to step down as manager after the tour as he was unable to handle the pressures of the job. Sources said in all probability the board would now promote Shafqat Rana, who went as associate manager to England, in place of Saeed. The board gave out no details of the meeting the Chairman also had with the national selection committee. Although the meeting was to pick the Pakistan A squad for a tour of the West Indies and the teams for the Asian Games but sources said the selectors discussed the availability of the suspended trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamir and Mohammad Asif for the forthcoming series against South Africa. "Butt told the selectors that they should, for the time being, hold back announcing the senior team for the South Africa series as the board was expecting the Scotland Yard and prosecutor''s office to come out with a decision on the suspended trio this week," one source said. "The board is expecting the prosecutor''s office to decide this week if there is enough evidence provided by the Scotland Yard to press charges against the three players who are alleged to have done spot fixing in the fourth test against England at Lords late August," the source said.

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Deora tours Games village

Mon, Sep 27 10 06:24 PM

New Delhi, Sep 27 (PTI) Expressing solidarity with the upcoming Commonwealth Games, Petroleum Minister Murli Deora today made a surprise tour of the games village, the first visit by a minister, apart from the organisers, to the venue which houses the participating sportsmen. "My visit is to show solidarity to the CWG, its organisers and the Delhi government. Hosting such games is an honour and as Indians we should be proud of it," he told PTI after reaching the Games Village, which houses sportsmen from different nations participating in the multi-sport event. Deora had last week led heads of Navratna oil PSUs under his ministry to Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in show of support for her efforts in organising the event. After the September 24 meeting, huge billboards showcasing CWG games sprung up at petrol pumps and CNG filling stations around the capital. "We must do whatever we can to make these games a grand success," he said. The Oil PSUs have also been roped in to bail out public broadcaster Doordarshan -- the official telecaster of the 12- day Commonwealth Games, which was not finding many advertisers. Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) and Indian Oil Corp (IOC) will buy air-time during the telecast of the Games between October 3 and 14. Lack of advertisers interest has already forced Prasar Bharti, which administers Doordarshan, to halve the revenue target from ad slots during the Games to Rs 100 crore. "I had taken ONGC Chairman and Managing Director R S Sharma, IOC Chairman B M Bansal and GAIL Chairman and Managing Director B C Tripathi to Sheila Dikshitji and promised all support," Deora said. ONGC will buy air-time worth Rs 5 crore and IOC Rs 1.5 crore.

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CM hopes for ''very good Games'', wants media to be positive

Mon, Sep 27 10 06:20 PM

New Delhi, Sep 27 (PTI) Just five days ahead of the Commonwealth Games here, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today exuded confidence of holding a "very good Games" and said all agencies are "racing against time" to make the mega sporting event a great success. "This will be a very good Games. We are looking at everything. We are racing against time, no doubt about it. But we will perform," she said when asked about the preparations for the event. Asked about the allegation that the Delhi government has been installing view cutters across the capital to cover up the slums and ugly side of the city, Dikshit rejected it and said hoardings are being put up in various areas to give the city a festive look. "This is to give the city a festive look. They have been put up also on flyovers where we don''t have anything to cover up," she said asking the media to be "more positive" in coverage of the event. "Please do not create a negative story. I wish you all could be more positive," she said.

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