Cricketers in a quandary

Karachi, Sept 27: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) recently issued letters to six players recommended for penalties by the judicial commission asking them to appeal to Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum by Sept 30 to quash the fines imposed on them.

The six players: Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Mushtaq Ahmad, Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Akram Raza are in a quandary as the Judge says that he has nothing to do with the case while the PCB insists that the players will have to appeal to Justice Qayyum.

"The players will have to appeal to the judge. We don't come into the picture because we (PCB) only implemented his (Justice Qayyum's) recommendations," PCB director Yawar Saeed said from Islamabad.

"I have no further role to play in the case. I was asked to investigate the charges and submit the report with my recommendations. I have done it and that ends my job.

"Why should the players appeal to me? They should go to the authorities who penalized them," the judge told Dawn.

The PCB has further stated that if the players didn't appeal against the penalties, the money would be deducted from their incomes before the team embarks for Saudi Arabia on way to Nairobi, Kenya, on Sept 30.

The six players were fined between Rs 300,000 to Rs 100,000 while Salim Malik and Ata-ur-Rehman were banned for life.

Khawaja Tariq Rahim, counsel of Wasim Akram, claimed from Lahore that his client has not been penalized but was exonerated of all charges.

"My interpretation of Qayyum Commission report is that Wasim has been fined because the alleged incidents of match-fixing took place when he was the captain. As a captain, he was responsible for everything as he was supposed to have full control over the players," Rahim said.