BBC SPORT | Cricket | Pakistan draws line under 'fixing' saga



By Kashif Qamar BBc Sport Online

After two judicial investigations, the Pakistan Cricket Board hopes it can now consign the subject of match-fixing to history.

The Bhandari Commission report on its inquiry into two games involving the team during the 1999 World Cup was published on Saturday, with no evidence of wrongdoing uncovered.

And the PCB now hope to draw a line under the saga, satisfied that it has done more than any other national cricket body to try and uncover the truth about match-fixing.

"We hope that the inquiry report will end this matter once and for all," said PCB director Munawwar Rana, who is in London to attend the executive board meeting of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Justice Karamat Nazir Bhandari, of Pakistan's Lahore High Court, absolves the players of match-fixing allegations concerning the World Cup defeats against India and Bangladesh.

And the PCB has published his report in full on its website.

Leading the way

The Commission, which followed an earlier inquiry by Justice Qayyum into unrelated allegations, was set up by the Pakistan government after former South African Cricket Board chief Dr Ali Bacher claimed the two games were fixed.

Rana said he would be submitting the inquiry report to the ICC for the benefit of the other member countries.

"We are setting an example that if the integrity of our players is questioned; we have to take action to protect the same.

World Cup 2003 boss Ali Bacher
Bacher refused to appear before the inquiry

"And the inquiry report is the proof of that. There absolutely no evidence was produced by any quarters to support the allegations of match-fixing," he told BBC Sport Online.

"Even the finest teams or players could have a bad day without having any bad intentions at all. But that doesn't mean that they fix matches.

He said the findings of the report should shut the door on suspicions about the team or individual players.

"But at the same time, nobody should have an iota of doubt that speculations or unsubstantiated allegations would go unnoticed.

Bans

"We have pursued them through this report and through Justice Qayyum report. We will also pursue things the same way if needed in the future," he added.

Two former Pakistan players - Salim Malik and Ata-ur-Rehman - are serving life bans from the game as a result of the Qayyum investigation, although Malik has repeatedly protested his innocence.

He recently lost an appeal against his ban, but has vowed to take the matter to Pakistan's Supreme Court.

The PCB, meanwhile, can now concentrate on trying to alleviate its financial problems caused by the cancellation of home games involving the national team..

They appear likely to lose a home series against Australia later this year because of the on-going military tension with India.


	Links to more Cricket stories