Court summons players after Majid's allegations

The World Cup inquiry commission Saturday summoned six top cricketers and coach of the Pakistan team after former captain Majid Khan accused that the losing finalists had deliberately thrown matches to India, Bangladesh and Australia in the 1999 event.

The summoned cricketers for the Oct 20 hearing include Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Saeed Anwar, Saqlain Mushtaq and Moin Khan. Justice Karamat Bhindari also issued summons for England-based Mushtaq Mohammad.

Akram was the captain of the team that lost a lopsided final to Australia while Moin was his deputy. Mushtaq took over the charge of the team after Javed Miandad threw in the towel in controversial circumstances immediately after April's Sharjah Cup and a couple of weeks before the World Cup was to kick off.

The judge issued summons after what is presumed to be a significant day of statements recorded by Khalid Mahmood, Majid Khan, Javed Miandad, Zafar Altaf and Riaz Sami (Pakistan commissioner to England at the time of the World Cup). Khalid Mahmood was the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Majid Khan was the chief executive of the PCB and Zafar Altaf was the manager of the team.

The registrar of the case, Kazim Malik, told reporters that six players and a former coach had been issued summons but refused to reveal further details saying: "I have been directed not to talk about the proceedings of the day and statements recorded by five people."

However, Majid later told reporters that he had told the honourable court that he suspects that three World Cup matches were fixed.

"For the match against Bangladesh, odds were heavily against Bangladesh. Then a Pakistani journalist had also reported in her newspaper two days before the match that Pakistan would lose the game as the fate had already been decided," Majid said from his Lahore residence.

Pakistan lost to Bangladesh by 62 runs. Bangladesh scored 223 for nine in 50 overs at Northampton and then shot out Pakistan for 161 in 44.3 overs.

"As regards the match against India, television commentators were bemused by the slow scoring rate of the top order. The commentators believed that the snail-paced knocks would increase problems for the lower-order to control the climbing run-rate. Eventually, the television commentators proved right as Pakistan lost the game by 47 runs," Majid said.

Pakistan were dismissed for 179 in 45.3 overs after India had collected 226 for six from 50 overs in the crucial Super Six at Old Trafford. Majid said he also believes that the World Cup final was a fix.

"The day before the final, it had rained. What on earth forced Pakistan to bat first after winning the toss? Any sane person with knowledge of the game would have put the opposition into bat, also because on the day of the final, conditions were overcast and conducive to bowling," Majid said.

Majid, it may be recalled, was also quoted by United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) managing director Dr Ali Bacher as telling Justice Edwin King commission that Pakistan had thrown two World Cup matches. "I was told by Majid Khan who was then the chief executive of the PCB," Bacher had said.

Majid had later admitted telling Bacher about his apprehensions while maintaining that he had no evidence to back up his claims. He repeated the same Saturday. "I think players were protected and that's why the malaise spread," he said. Khan said on his request Pakistan Government formed Justice qayyum commission. I, as Chief Executive asked the Government to launch match fixing inquiry and I regret that Qayyum's commission was not allowed to include World matches in its probe."

Although it was not known about the statements of Khalid Mahmood and Zafar Altaf, the two in the past have publicly refused accepting the allegations and have thrown their weight behind the players.

Coincidentally, the honourable judge has summoned six cricketers out of whom four were penalized by Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum for not cooperating with his commission by hiding facts. Only Moin Khan and Saqlain Mushtaq are the new faces in the inquiry.

Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Saeed Anwar and Inzamam-ul-Haq were all fined and censored by Justice Qayyum whose inquiry report was released last May. Only Salim Malik and Ata-ur- Rehman were banned for life though Rahman, who admitted accepting bribe from Wasim Akram, is still playing in Patron's Trophy first-class competition.