Pakistan: Some players were reported to be involved, says Burki (17 Sep 1998)

17 September 1998

Some players were reported to be involved, says Burki

By Our Reporter

LAHORE, Sept 16: Former Pakistan Cricket Board adhoc committee chairman Javed Burki has testified that some Pakistani players were reported to be involved in match fixing. He particularly mentioned Saleem Malik as having been identified by many to be betting on the game.

Recording a statement under oath on Wednesday before a one-man inquiry commission, headed by Justice Malik Muhammad Qayyum, probing into the allegations of match fixing against some of cricket players, Mr Burki said that he had told the cricket board officials who took over from him in 1995 that they should make sure that Saleem Malik and Ijaz Ahmad never again played for Pakistan and that Wasim Akram should be warned against betting. Pakistan Cricket Board legal adviser Ali Sabtain Fazli and PBC's chief executive Majid Khan were present on the occasion.

Mr Khan would record his statement at the conclusion of the proceedings. Proceedings were adjourned till Saturday. Mr Burki said in his statement that "I have been playing cricket and at one time was also captain of Pakistani team. I was also once manager and had remained Chairman of the Selection Committee from January, 1989 to September, 1992. I was alsoChairman of ad hoc committee of Pakistan Cricket Board in 1994. At that time Mr Arif Abbasi was also a member of the ad hoc committee. I remained Chairman until March 1995.

During my tenure as Chairman, there were allegations in the Press that betting was going on in the Pakistani team and some of the players were stated to have been taking money to lose matches and that there was also betting on the results of the matches. It was very difficult to get evidence about this. The then President of Pakistan had also received such information and I was asked by him to look into these allegations. For the tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe (late 1994 and early 1995), we appointed Rashid Latif as vice captain of Pakistani Team when we knew and were sure that he would not indulge in match-fixing and betting. In January, 1995 in South Africa, Rashid Latif was quoted in the newspaper as accusing Saleem Malik, Captain of Pakistani team for having fixed a one-day match played against South Africa. We asked Intekhab Alam, the Manager of Pakistan Team as regards allegation of match-fixing against Saleem Malik by Rashid Latif; he replied that all these allegations have been withdrawn and now everything is okay in the team.

A few weeks later, Australian press carried reports of attempts to bribe two of Australian cricketers by Saleem Malik who was captain of Pakistani team during the tour of Australia to Pakistan in late 1994. We asked the Australian Board about this and we were told that the Australian cricketers who were offered bribe had sworn affidavits which were sent to the International Cricket Council in London. We asked them as to why this affair was not revealed when it took place in October, 1994 and we were informed by the Australian authorities that the Chief Executive of ICC had been verbally informed of the offering of bribe to Australian players. We asked the Chief Executive of ICC as to why he had not reported the matter to us; he told us that since he had been informed only verbally, he thought it fit not to take any further action. I understand that these allegations were made public in February, 1995 because Rashid Latif, the then Vice Captain of Pakistani team levelled charge of match-fixing. Those allegations were made public because of the reason that there was pressure on Australians. In my opinion, if our Vice Captain had not accused his own captain of match-fixing, the Australians would not have gone public with their allegations.

I was informed by Mr Arif Abbasi when our team was on South African tour that he had received telephonic calls from Clyole Walkot, the President of ICC in South Africa to the effect that Pakistani team was involved in betting and match-fixing and that he was much concerned that this evil should be nipped in the bud, otherwise future of Pakistani cricket would be destroyed. Thereupon I flew to Harrare where Pakistani team had arrived from South Africa. Rashid Latif, the main accuser along with Amir Sohail met me in a separate hotel. They levelled allegations of betting and match-fixing against Saleem Malik and other members of the team, though they did not name them. Then I flew to London where I haddiscussion with chief executive of ICC and their solicitors, Simmons and Simons who delivered me the affidavits of the Australian cricketers accusing Saleem Malik of offering them money for allowing Pakistani team to win the match.

I asked the ICC solicitors as to what was their opinion as regards the strength of those allegations, they replied that they would explain their point of view in court. The impression I gathered was in the affirmative. In each affidavit an accusation was made and there was corroboration of that even immediately by another cricketer and the solicitors felt that this was very strong evidence especially in view of the fact that the accusers appeared to have no motive of dispute with the accused. Now this was a big problem for ad-hoc committee. If we decide to hold an open inquiry about this affair and if after holding of the inquiry, we found that the captain of Pakistani team was guilty of having tried to bribe the members of other team, Pakistani team could be brought into disrepute and my advice was that whatever steps were needed to be taken should be taken quietly by the Board and the matter be closed here.

Since I was about to hand over the charge of the Board to a new set-up which included Zulfiqar Shah Bokhari as Chairman and Mr Arif Abbasi as Chief Executive, my advice to them was that they should make sure that Saleem Malik never again plays for Pakistan. Similarly, action should be taken against another suspect Ejaz Ahmad and that Waseem Akram should be warned.

I was absolutely sure that the match-fixing and betting was going on in Pakistani team.

There was another incident which was reported to us that a match had been thrown during Singer Trophy in Sri Lanka and in summer 1994 these allegations first appeared in the Press and there was a detailed article carried by Friday Times about Khalid Ghitti, a book-maker based in Lahore. During those days, Pakistani team had been touring Sri Lanka and there was a gap of 8/9 days between the end of the tour and beginning of Singer Trophy in Sri Lanka; Saleem Malik rang me up from Sri Lanka and said that he had to attend a wedding ceremony in Pakistan for which he sought my permission to come back to Pakistan during the gap of 8/9 days as aforesaid. I gave him permission and later on it was alleged that during his stay in Pakistan, he visited the house of Khalid Ghitti and a deal was struck between them to fix one of the matches of Singer Trophy. The match was fixed and Saeed Anwar had told me that during that match he was asked by the 12th man not to play well and get himself out. I asked Saeed Anwar to make this statement in writing and at that time I was staying in Pearl Continental. Saeed Anwar promised to come over to me and do the needful. Later on, Saeed Anwar informed me that he could not do the needful as promised because his brother was threatened with dire consequences if Saeed Anwar came over to me and delivered the statement in writing. Thereupon, I told Saeed Anwar that I was going back to Karachi and that he should come there on his nexttrip for making the statement in writing. He did come to Karachi and he telephoned me and told that he would first talk to Rashid Latif and then would deliver the statement in writing. Neither he nor Rashid Latif came over to me and delivered the statement as promised. Both of them had failed to do so.

There were allegations against Waseem Akram, during the time when I was the chairman of the ad hoc committee, Waseem Akram was not captain and the allegations pertained to the period when I was not holding any office of PCB. An English man wrote to me from England saying that he was present when some of these players/cricketers were drinking and saying that forthcoming one-dayer was already fixed and we needed not to worry about losing or winning. That letter is available on the record of PCB. That letter mentions the name of lady-journalist, Ms Kamila Hayat who was also present there. I did talk to the said Kamila Hayat and she confirmed having heard this statement but she said that she would not give me a statement which might be used against her.

I remember that something in writing was given to me. I did have eye-wetness as regards the fact that Saleem Malik and Mushtaq Ahmad were present in the house of Khalid Ghitti during the aforesaid 8/9 days. I have forgot his name at present but can give it later on. That gentleman had promised to make the statement if he is called. In order to avoid further humiliation and embarrassment, these boys should not be allowed to play for Pakistan. Once Saleem Malik was summoned in the presence of Arif Abbasi and Zafar Altaf and was informed that you were involved in betting and match-fixing and cannot be allowed to play for Pakistan, he went off without refuting the allegations against him. In the reception arranged in the President House in honour of Pakistani players and Australians on their tour to Pakistan, Saleem Malik is stated to have offered bribe to the afore-named Australian cricketers who subsequently had sworn their affidavits to that effect. By that very alleged incident, the Australian cricketers had gathered an impression that all Pakistanis are involved in betting and match-fixing. These affidavits were conclusive especially in view of the accusation of Vice Captain Rashid Latif in South Africa. These events have made sense to me that some of the Pakistani (players were involved in match-fixing and betting). There is another incident when Saleem came back to Pakistan with my permission and was stated to have been bribed by Khalid Ghitti. The person whose name and address I shall supply told me that the aforenamed Khalid Ghitti had lost Rs 1 crore on some tennis tournament and he wanted to make good the loss of Rs one crore. Khalid Ghitti is stated to have given Rs 1 crore and evidence in that regard can be produced by that person.

Mr Burki stated that he was present at Old Traford ground when Pakistan had already won the test match series against England in which Waseem Akram and Waqar Younus did some devastating bowling. However, in one-day international matches at Old Traford the same two bowlers had given away 100 runs in thefirst ten overs. Their bowling was short-pitched and easy for English players to hit. He was of the opinion that such bowling was deliberate. Mr Javed Burki was of the view that the statements of Australian players alonwith the vice captain of the Pakistani team against the captain Saleem Malik was enough to implicate him. He has been asked as to what remedy he suggests, he stated that the main players against whom the allegations are, should be banned from playing cricket and the rest of the team would become alright.

Source:: Dawn (https://dawn.com/)