Saqlain mystery over 'retirement' (5 July 1999)
The ongoing claims of match-fixing that have dogged the Pakistan team took a new twist over the weekend, when off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq refused to comment on a report in a Lahore newspaper that he was quitting international cricket
05-Jul-1999
5 July 1999
Saqlain mystery over 'retirement'
Julian Guyer
The ongoing claims of match-fixing that have dogged the Pakistan team
took a new twist over the weekend, when off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq
refused to comment on a report in a Lahore newspaper that he was
quitting international cricket.
According to Jang, Saqlain, 22, was one of eight players including
captain Wasim Akram, veteran batsman Salim Malik and fast bowler Waqar
Younis who were said to be retiring so that the public could believe
they were innocent of unsubstantiated claims that the team
deliberately lost the World Cup final to Australia and behaved
improperly off the field.
Saqlain refused to speak to journalists afterm completing his first
match of the season for championship leaders Surrey at the Oval. But
Keith Medlycott, the Surrey coach said: "When I spoke to him about
this story he just laughed. He's young and I think he will have a long
international career."
In Pakistan Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum will submit his report on
betting and match-fixing to President Rafiq Tarar by July 16.
Wasim Akram, Pakistan's captain, collapsed with a diabetic attack at
his Birmingham flat on Friday, but played for Smethwick club on
Saturday, taking two wickets against Stratford in the drawn Birmingham
League match.
Source :: The Electronic Telegraph