Pakistan: 3 cricketers to face one-man inquiry body

Karachi, Aug 29: Three Pakistan cricketers have been directed to appear before a one-man inquiry commission on Wednesday, highly placed sources said late Tuesday evening.

Shahid Afridi, Hasan Raza and Atiq-uz-Zaman, accused of breaching the players' code of conduct on the eve of team's departure for Singapore, are being provided with an opportunity to clarify their positions.

The three players, who received telephone calls from the cricket headquarters in Lahore on Tuesday afternoon, left for the Punjab metropolis later in the day.

Brig (retd) Mohammad Nasir, who is the manager of the team, has been appointed as the inquiry officer by the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Lt Gen Tauqir Zia. After examining the cricketers, Nasir will submit a detailed report on the basis of which disciplinary action would be taken against the three players.

The three players are accused of having invited girls to their rooms. There is no hard evidence to support their involvement in the scandal.

Highly placed sources said Brig Nasir was assigned the job by the PCB chairman on Monday. Brig Nasir is reported to have carried out preliminary investigations.

Javed Miandad, who was initially asked to prepare the report, will not be submitting the document after he succeeded in convincing the PCB chairman that his job was confined to the playing field. On Miandad's persuasion Brig Nasir has been appointed the inquiry officer since the off-the-field conduct of the players fell under his jurisdiction.

Ironically, when this correspondent contacted Yawar Saeed, director of the PCB, on Tuesday evening, he tried to confuse the situation. Instead of giving a clear picture, he said: "I have been told by the PCB chairman to get the manager's report on the incident. I have not been given any deadline."

Nevertheless, hours later, it was confirmed that Yawar Saeed was trying to hide the facts. The point to be emphasised is that if a highly responsible PCB official is not willing to release day-to-day news then who will?