Pakistan, Australia call truce (11 January 1999)

11 January 1999

Pakistan, Australia call truce

By Geoff Longley

Australian and Pakistan cricket bosses, who have been at loggerheads over cricket match-fixing scandals, buried the hatchet in Christchurch yesterday.

While debate on what action will be taken over corruption in the sport began at the International Cricket Council meeting which started yesterday, the chairmen of the Pakistan and Australian cricket bodies called a press conference to clarify "any past misunderstandings and communication problems".

"We are not bitter enemies," said Australian Cricket Board chairman Denis Rogers, while his Pakistan counterpart, Khalid Mahmood, concurred.

Relations between the two cricket powers have been strained over the match-fixing and bribery allegations.

Pakistan was upset when it discovered last month that Australians Shane Warne and Mark Waugh had been fined by the ACB four years ago for selling pitch and weather details to a bookmaker in 1994-95.

Waugh and Warne had been central figures in testifying that then Pakistan captain Salim Malik had approached them and fellow Australian player Tim May to play poorly in a match during that team's tour of Pakistan.

Rogers said "communication protocols" were now in place to prevent a repetition of the slanging match between the countries. He said neither official had sought or given an apology.

When reminded the allegations against both Malik and Warne and Waugh only became public knowledge when uncovered by journalists, not from the countries' boards, Rogers said "that is a positive thing that's come out of it".

Rogers wouldn't answer directly when asked, if there were no secrets between the boards, why the ACB hadn't passed on the information about Warne and Waugh's dealings with a bookmaker.

"The matter has been resolved. We both accept each other's word on it."

Asked whether the cricket public hadn't deserved an explanation at the time, Rogers said "they're being advised now".

Mahmood admitted that Pakistan had been unhappy at Australia's lack of communication on the Warne and Waugh bribery issue in the past, but "all those misunderstandings have been removed".

The PCB last year instigated its own inquiry into allegations that Malik, newly-reappointed captain Wasim Akram and batsman Ijaz Ahmed were involved in match-fixing.

Despite recommendations that the trio receive bans from test cricket, the report was overtaken by a Pakistan government-appointed inquiry, which is due to release its findings by the end of this month.

Mahmood said the PCB inquiry didn't have the legal authority to ban players, and because there had been no official findings against the three, they were still able to be considered for selection.

Akram has been appointed captain again for Pakistan's forthcoming tour of India and the World Cup in England.

Mahmood also denied foreign reports that he had called for Warne and Waugh to be thrown out of test cricket. He said he had been misquoted.

Meanwhile, the outcome of a proposal by the ICC's administration on match-fixing and betting will be revealed today. ICC chief executive David Richards is believed to have presented a proposal to the two-day meeting.

ICC president Jagmohan Dalmiya, who was unable to attend the meeting because of the death of his mother in India, was involved in the discussion by an audio link-up. The proposal will be reviewed again today before its public release.

Also discussed yesterday was Australian umpire Darrell Hair's criticism of Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan's bowling action.

Source :: The Christchurch Press (https://www.press.co.nz/)