Contracts to be amended to offset bookies

Karachi, May 2: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will include new clauses in the players' contracts in which the cricketers would be clarified what they have to do if approached by any bookmaker in future.

The chairman of the PCB Lt-Gen Tauqir Zia told newsmen at the National Stadium here on Tuesday that the addition of the clause was now essential after all the boards have done it because of the growing trend of bookmakers approaching the cricketers.

"The clause was not added in the contracts which were given to the players before their departure for Sharjah. But now the addition appears essential as one realizes that the entire world is involved (in match-fixing)," the general said.

He, however, said the players have been briefed in detail that they have to immediately report to the team management if approached by any bookmaker.

Besides, he continued, the players have been banned from using mobile telephones or entertain friends in their rooms.

"If the players have to meet their friends, they have to meet in the manager's room. That practice was followed in the home series against Sri Lanka and would be implemented in future," he said.

According to sources, the clause in the player's contract would clearly mention that if a player was found having any contact with a bookmaker, not only his contract would be cancelled but he would also be banned for life.

The general said not only the cricket board had a directory of bookmakers, an additional list has also been mentioned by Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum in his report.

Qayyum Commission Report: The general said he would get the possession of the judicial commission report on Friday.

But he set no deadline to publicize the Qayyum commission report. "I have to submit the report next month to the International Cricket Council (ICC). But before that, the report would be made public."

General Tauqir, nevertheless, clarified that the delay in the publication of the report was because of a misunderstanding.

He said the report was submitted to sports ministry rather than the President's secretariat. He said the PCB was an autonomous body and didn't come under the sports ministry umbrella.

He, however, added that President Rafiq Tarar was given the report by the sports ministry last week which will be passed on to him on Friday when he calls on the PCB patron.

The PCB chairman added that he has already had a meeting with Justice Qayyum in which the Lahore High Court judge briefed him on the contents of his report.

"The judge confirmed to me that he has recommended life bans besides cash penalties against certain players. But he didn't reveal any names of the players against whom he has recommended penalties.

"It was never a question of making up my mind. As soon as the PCB would get the report, it would be implemented," he said.

Players are handsomely paid: The PCB chairman said the players were handsomely paid with each player having an annual earning of approximately between Rs eight million to Rs 9.5 million. He said these were figures from the payments the board made to the players in 1999.

"These payments doesn't include the sponsorships etc. This is hard payment which the players get for playing for Pakistan," the general said.

The specifically mentioned the name of Wasim Akram saying the senior most Pakistan player had an earning of Rs 1.3 million per month.

But he admitted that players involved in match-fixing or betting were probably more greedy.

"I think we should not differentiate the cricketers from ourselves. We are also from the same stock, from the same country, from the same cultural, environmental and social background. Some of us don't have greed, so I am sure some of the players don't have greed. Some of us have greed, so some of the players also have greed.

"But I can assure that they get a lot of money for every single match they play. But if they are still greedy, then what can one say," he remarked.