Pakistan should be part of investigation - Qayyum

Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum, who led the probe into match-fixing in the 1990s, has urged the Pakistan government to send investigators to Jamaica to help probe the murder of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer.

Qayyum refused to speculate on the possible motives for Woolmer's murder but said that Pakistan's government should get involved in the investigation. "Woolmer was our man. He was our coach and the government must send its own investigation team," Qayyum told AFP.

Qayyum also demanded a judicial inquiry into the Pakistan's shock exit from the World Cup, amid rumours that Woolmer's death was linked to gambling mafia. Ireland beat Pakistan by three wickets on March 17 and eliminated them from the World Cup. A day later, Woolmer was found strangled in his hotel room.

"A judicial inquiry should be ordered into this fiasco," said Qayyum. "Winning or losing is part of the game but the manner in which we lost against Ireland in particular needs to be inquired into."

In 2000, Qayyum, at the time a Lahore high court judge, led an inquiry into allegations of match-fixing centred on former Pakistan captain Salim Malik. Australian cricketers Shane Warne, Tim May and Mark Waugh had alleged that Malik offered them money to under-perform during Australia's tour to Pakistan in 1994.

The Qayyum inquiry banned Malik and fast bowler Ata-ur-Rehman for life and fined six others, including Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mushtaq Ahmed, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Saeed Anwar and Akram Raza.

Qayyum expressed surprise over the inclusion of Mushtaq in the 2007 World Cup. "Mushtaq Ahmed's appointment as assistant coach was in violation of my recommendations that he should not be given any position in the squad, as a member or official," said Qayyum.