Suspended players not to be selected, says Mujeeb (30 July 1999)

30 July 1999

Suspended players not to be selected, says Mujeeb

The Dawn

Karachi, July 29: The chairman of the ad hoc committee Mujeeb-ur-Rahman on Thursday reiterated that the suspended trio, including skipper Wasim Akram, will not be selected in the coming season until they proved their innocence.

"They are great players but the charges against them are quite serious. They will first have to get their names cleared before becoming eligible for selection," he said in his first press conference in the city during which he faced a barrage of questions regarding the suspension of the three players.

Mujeeb stressed that the three players were suspended on an interim report prepared by a three-member probe committee of the defunct board and submitted 10 months ago.

He, however, offered no comments when pointed out that at least Salim Malik was cleared of match-fixing and betting charges when the investigations were carried out by former Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G Ebraheem in 1995.

He stated that he has not insulted the national heroes by suspending them.

"I want them to get cleared of all charges. I have promised my full support to them and have also offered them that I can arrange meetings for them with Accountability Cell chief so that they can defend themselves.

"The board is not insulting any player but if any one found guilty will be dealt severely. It is premature to say what action would be taken against players found guilty but it would be a tough punishment," Mujeeb asserted.

"No player is neither above discipline nor is indispensable," he said.

Mujeeb said five players viz Moin Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mushtaq Ahmad, Saqlain Mushtaq and Waqar Younis were not suspended because the Accountability Cell had levelled specific charges against Wasim Akram, Salim Malik and Ijaz Ahmad.

However, he added that if the judicial commission named the involvement of any of the five players in match-fixing, he would be taken to task.

"They have not been suspended until now because the interim report didn't mention their names as prime suspects. But if the judicial commission named any of the five players, they would be severely dealt with," he said.

Mujeeb said he has already made up his mind that the three players will not be selected until the judicial commission submits its recommendation. "The team may lose in their absence, but at least the defeat would not be attributed to any foul play. I don't mind losing but the allegations of match-fixing are something which takes the gloss out of the prowess of the team."

Mujeeb said Pakistan cricket was getting a bad name because the issue had been dragging on for four years. He said he believed that the players should have been banned then and there.

Mujeeb, for the first time, said the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was suspended because of mismanagement.

Suspension Of PCB:

He said The Management was suspended because of the repeated allegations of match-fixing. He said the defunct board failed to handle the issue and that's why it prolonged for so long.

He denied the impression that his brother Senator Saif-ur-Rahman manoeuvred to get him inducted as the ad hoc committee chief.

"He, in fact, advised me not to become the ad hoc committee chairman," he said.

During the conference, Mujeeb announced a three-member sub-committee of Sindh which will look after the day-to-day affair of the Karachi, Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas cricket associations who stand suspended.

The members are: Shafiq Ahmad Khan (banker), Asad Ashraf Malik (Additional IG Police) and Shahid Israr (former Test wicket-keeper). However, the announcement of the committee chairman would be made in the next couple of days.

Asad Ashraf Malik has played cricket at school, college and University level and made his first-class debut in 1978.

Regarding the constitution of the sub-committee, Mujeeb said the body has been instructed to clean-up cricket and increase the sport activities in the cities. He said the committee will also be asked to submit recommendations to amend the constitutions of the associations in which the tenure of the officials is clearly defined.

He said floodlights would be installed at the National Stadium adding that it was not necessary to import lights. He said locally manufactured equipment would be installed but foreign expertize would definitely be sought.

The ad hoc committee chief also announced the constitution of a six-member Domestic Tournament Monitoring Committee (DTMC) headed by Javed Zaman Khan. The members are: Iqbal Qasim (Karachi), Sarfaraz Ahmad (Rawalpindi), Farrukh Zaman (Peshawar), Mansoor Butt (Gujranwala) and Mansoor Hayat Khan (Lahore).

Source :: The Dawn(www.dawn.com)