Waqar denies involvement in betting, match-fixing (15 October 1998)

15 October 1998

Waqar denies involvement in betting, match-fixing

By Our Reporter

LAHORE, Oct 14: Fast bowler Waqar Younis, in a statement on Wednesday before the Inquiry Commission probing match-fixing allegations against certain players has denied that he or any other member of the cricket team had indulged in the act. He denied that any player had ever thrown a match. Replying to a question, he said that he was never offered money for bowling badly.

Justice Malik Muhammad Qayyum adjourned the proceedings till Saturday after recording the statements of the fast bowler and two alleged bookies. It asked the PCB legal adviser to inquire if Australian spinner Shane Warne would be appearing before the commission. The adviser had said that the spinner was coming to Bangladesh and there was possibility he might agree to appear before the commission.

During the day, the court recorded the statements of alleged bookies, Zafar Jo Jo and Raja Aftab (real brothers). It said that Jo Jo would again come to the court on the next date of hearing and answer to a notice that he had lied in the court.

Of the two, Zafar Jo Jo recorded his statement later and said that his brother did not indulge in betting while the latter had admitted to the act in his statement. Jo Jo, however, stuck to his stance and said that if his brother made bets it was his personal affair and he did not know about it.

The court said that it felt that Jo Jo was lying and a show cause notice was issued to him as to why he should not be punished for making a wrong statement in the court. Jo Jo said that he and his brother had a joint business. Raja Aftab said that they were neighbours of Wasim Akram and through him knew other members of the team. He said that he made minor bets in different sports and horse racing. He said that he made bets at Carry Home restaurant, Star Video Auriga plaza and with a friend who died a couple of months ago. He said that bets were registered at the reception of the Carry Home. He said that they lived in a house bought in 1976 and owned a tuition centre. He said that prior to this he was a motorcycle dealer and then operated a car showroom under the name of Raja Motors. He denied ever being involved in match-fixing.

Jo Jo said that he mostly lived in their village in Kharian, Gujrat district. He said that he had never made bets and could not afford to so. He said that he should be hanged if it was found otherwise. Mr Younis in his statement said that he had never taken a car from any body and denied a statement made to this effect by Aqib Javed. He said that Aqib perhaps made this statement to get back into the team. He said that he was on good terms with Aqib. The bowler said that he could not say anything about Wasim Akram's injury before the quarter-final in Bangalore. Mr Akram or the team's physio were the competent people to say anything about this, he said. Regarding the allegations of poor bowling in two one-day matches in England, he said sometimes batsmen played better even against good bowling. Just because bowler gets scored against did not mean that he was bowling badly.

He said that England was a difficult team to beat on their home ground. About oaths taken by the team members before certain matches, he said that it was done in the aftermath of rumours in the Press. He said that he did not play in one of such tournaments in Sharjah where the team took an oath. Replying to a question that allegedly Ataur Rehman was offered bribe by Wasim Akram, he said that he did not know about it. To another question, he said Ata was a good person.

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