Colombo one-dayer in '94 was a fixed tie (29 December 1998)

29 December 1998

Colombo one-dayer in '94 was a fixed tie

By Our Sports Reporter

KARACHI, Dec 28: The lawyer assisting the judicial commission believes that the Australia and Pakistan one-day international in the 1994 Singer Cup at Colombo (Sri Lanka) was a fixed match.

"Evidence gathered by the inquiry suggests that Pakistan and Australia were engaged in a fixed match in 1994," Ali Sibtain Fazli, legal advisor of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), revealed on Sunday.

He said in addition to this match, Pakistan's another suspected fixed match was at Christchurch, New Zealand, in 1994, besides a couple of games in Sharjah.

"But, in that (Christchurch) match, New Zealand were not a party," said Fazli.

Reverting to the 1994 Pakistan-Australia match, Fazli said Pakistan opener Saeed Anwar had told Pakistan Cricket Board's probe committee in July-August about the suspicion of a fixed match.

"Saeed Anwar has been quoted by the PCB probe committee's report that `the trend set by Australians while bowling, it appeared that the match was fixed'.

"It is the same match in which Australians Shane Warne and Mark Waugh were paid A$8,000 and A$6,000 respectively for providing weather and pitch report," said Fazli.

In open court proceedings while cross-examining Mushtaq Ahmad, it was revealed that Salim Pervaiz, an alleged bookie, had paid US$100,000 to Salim Malik and Mushtaq Ahmad for the same match.

On Sept 7, 1994 at Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo, Australia, batting first in perfect conditions, scored 179 for seven in 50 overs. In reply, Pakistan finished at 151 for nine in 50 overs after being 77 for one. Saeed Anwar, who was the top scorer of the match with 46, had retired at 43.

Fazli stated that he would question Mark Waugh and Shane Warne about their confessions in detail. "It is anybody's guess that you are not paid so heavily for providing pitch and weather reports specially when the match may have already been fixed.

"I haven't prepared my mind yet what I will ask, but I would definitely question them if they knew that the match was fixed or they were offered to set-up some players to settle the fate of the match off the field," Fazli said.

Fazli stated that so far the suggestions have been that one of the teams is involved while fixing a match. "The question that arises is as to whether there are occasions when both teams may be involved in match-fixing.

"In this particular (Singer Cup) match, there is a possibility that the match was fixed. What we have to see is whether both the teams were involved or only one. Of course, we have to see how far the evidence has come forward is truthful," he said.

Source :: Dawn (https://dawn.com/)