Ministry seeks PCB's report on match-fixing allegation

Karachi:

Pakistan's sports ministry has asked the country's cricket board to submit a detailed report on the incident during which suspected bookmakers allegedly tried to approach the players in Sri Lanka.

A ministry official confirmed that they had sent a letter to the Pakistan Cricket Board asking for a full report on the incident that took place in Colombo during the Test series after which Pakistani players reported the matter to their manager, Yawar Saeed.

Former Test players Abdul Qadir and Sarfaraz Nawaz have asked the government to appoint an inquiry committee to probe into the matter.

The official said that PCB had replied that the incident was in the ICC's notice as their anti-corruption and security unit were already looking into the whole matter.

But we have asked the board to do a comprehensive inquiry themselves as well and send a detailed report to us because this is a serious matter, he said.

The Federal Minister for Sports Aftab Shah Jillani also told newsmen that the ministry was concerned with the reports about bookmakers being in Colombo for the Pakistan-Sri Lanka series.

"We just want to know the facts because such allegations of match fixing damage our image and if anyone is involved in such criminal activities he must be made an example off," Jillani said.

The PCB and ministry have been at loggerheads on a number of contentious issues including the audit report of the board carried out this year which is yet to be approved by the chief patron of the board, President Asif Ali Zardari.

PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt has also faced some grilling at the hands of National Assembly standing committee on sports for the performance of the board and the national team in recent times.