Wasim Akram escaped lightly, Sohail remarks

Pakistan former captain Aamer Sohail, who along with wicket-keeper Rashid Latif (whose comments were published in these colunmns yesterday) was instrumental in exposing the bribery and match fixing-scandal that has plagued the Pakistan team since the mid-nineties, has expressed relief that the judicial enquiry's report has, in the main, found his accusations correct.

Speaking to Cricinfo this afternoon from Lahore, Sohail said:"Wasim Akram is lucky he has got off lightly with a fine. It happened because Ata-ur-Rahman changed his earlier statement in which he had said that Akram had offered him 2 lakh rupees ( £2300) to bowl badly in a match that had been 'fixed'.

"Ata later said in court that I had forced him to make such a statement. That helped Wasim get off the hook. I couldn't defend myself as I wasn't able to cross-examine Ata when he changed his statement."

Sohail went on to say: " I was removed from captaincy and later dropped from the team for bringing this matter into the open. I knew this would happen to me and I was prepared for it."

"I shall continue playing first-class cricket for my employers, Allied Bank, who look after me and I am happy there. I had stood up for my beliefs and I have finally been proved right."

It remains to be seen if Sohail and Latif will now be back in favour with the selectors. Latif had said in his comments yesterday, referring to future team selection: " I would like to see where I stand now with the selectors."