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 | | Wednesday, 6 February, 2002, 12:23 GMT Latif focussed on the future  Latif has played in only one World Cup so far Pakistan's crusading wicketkeeper Rashid Latif said he had no regrets about his part in exposing the match-fixing scandal that cost him three years of international cricket. "It may have cost me a few years in the game, but I do not regret what I did. "Exposing corruption in the game has given me a lot of satisfaction," said Latif, who is currently with the Pakistan squad set to face the West Indies in the second Test at Sharjah on Thursday, However, he is more than happy to be back in the fold: "I can't afford to be out of the team now," he said, and he is looking forward to the 2003 World Cup in South Africa. Exposing corruption "I want to be there at the World Cup and, God willing, we will win it." Latif was in the vanguard of those exposing corruption within cricket, leaving Pakistan's tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe in 1995 early, after accusing the then captain Salim Malik of being hand-in-glove with bookmakers. He was ridiculed back home and thrown out of the national team, but nevetheless continued with his campaign In an interview with Indian magazine Outlook in 1997, Latif accused Malik and other colleagues, including Indian stars Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajay Jadeja, of fixing matches at the behest of bookmakers. As the scandal grew, the Pakistan Cricket Board first instituted an internal inquiry, than a judicial one, leading to life bans being imposed on Malik and paceman Ata-ur-Rehman. Latif was suddenly elevated to Test captain by officials wanting to project a clean image, only to be dumped from the squad a year later and replaced by Moin Khan.
He spent three years in the wilderness, during which time two other Test captains, Azharuddin and South Africa's Hansie Cronje were found guilty of malpractices and banned for life. However, the failure of wicketkeeper-captain Moin against England at the end of 2000, led to him being dropped and there was only one possible replacement. Despite the possible tensions caused by his reinclusion, Latif insists that any difficulties with the players whom he accused has been smoothed over now. "I have been speaking to Wasim Akram (one of the accused players). We had a difference of opinion, maybe we had a different perspective to the whole issue. "But there was nothing personal. I do not hold him responsible for removing me from the team. He is a great player. "Some of us may clash on personal issues, but when we take the field we are Pakistanis playing for Pakistan," he said. Maiden century Latif also believes that corruption within the Pakistan team is now a thing of the past. "Look at our record. We have won five out of six Tests since my return and lost only two one-dayers out of 20," he said. The 33-year-old finally completed his first Test century against the West Indies last week, scoring 150 in the first innings to lead Pakistan from early difficulties to a commanding total of 493 and eventual victory by 170 runs In doing so he also reached 1,000 runs in Test cricket and claimed the three victims he needed to reach 100 wicketkeeping dismissals. | |
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