Qadir miffed at ICC''s ''double standard''

Thu, Oct 28 10 09:52 PM

Karachi, Oct 28 (PTI) Former Pakistan spinner Abdul Qadir today accused International Cricket Council of adopting double standard while dealing with players from different countries. Qadir was miffed that ICC went public with its action when allegations surfaced that Oval ODI could be fixed but refuse to speak when issue of Indian batsman Suresh Raina came up. A media report had said that Raina was seen with a woman linked with a bookie during India''s recent Sri Lanka tour. The former chief selector, who resigned last year after differences with the Pakistan Cricket Board, said the method adopted by the ICC in dealing with accusations aimed at players of India and Pakistan indicated double standards. "It was a British newspaper that made allegations that Suresh Raina had met with an associate of a bookmaker in Sri Lanka . The ICC is saying this is a confidential matter and is not willing to give details. "But at the same time it was another British tabloid that reported that the third One-dayer between Pakistan and England at the Oval was shady and the ICC went ahead and on basis of this issued a press release stating they are investigating the match thus damaging the image of Pakistan cricket and its players, what can one call this double standards," Qadir said. The former leg-spinner while talking to Geo Super channel questioned ''was that investigation not confidential''. Qadir said that the ICC needed to deal with its member countries even handedly particularly in cases relating to corruption. "The ICC must realise all members are equals and there should be no different treatment for the members," he added. Qadir said eventually the ICC had to declare that it had found no evidence of wrong doing in the Pakistan and England ODI. "The Pakistan board has also been lethargic in my view in dealing with this issue. The PCB should be pressing the ICC on why it issued a press statement on the investigations when they were not even complete," he said. "I think our board has also not handled this sensitive issue of spot fixing properly and allowed the ICC to control things," he said.

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