Latif played 37 Tests for Pakistan and 166 ODIs

He accuses the International Cricket Council's Anti-Corruption Unit of being unsuccessful in its attempts to stamp out match-fixing.

Latif retired from international cricket in 2003. His Test career suffered as a result of making corruption claims against team-mates.

He later gave evidence to the Qayyum commission in 2000, one of two judicial inquiries conducted into allegations of corruption against Pakistan players which led to Salim Malik and Ata-ur-Rehman receiving life bans and others, including former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis, being fined.

What was your reaction on hearing about the death of Bob Woolmer?

My immediate reaction was that Bob could not bear the shock of the defeat at the hands of Ireland and suffered a heart attack.

When I found out it was murder then I was surprised. Who would want to kill him and why kill him after the match?

All the cricketing world is still waiting for the answer.

One of the theories about his death is that he was silenced because he was preparing to expose something about corruption in the game - how much credence do you give to such a suggestion?

Whatever evidence has been gathered so far might be indicative of corruption in the game but nothing can be said with certainty as the investigations are still under way.

Bob did send emails to his wife and the PCB chairman, but he did not contact the Anti-Corruption Unit.

In the past whenever I found something, I immediately approached the ACU. It is also very important that the last few correspondences of Bob Woolmer should be made public to find out what he exactly wrote.

The question here is that if he found something suspicious then why didn't he contact the ACU?

However, nothing can be ruled out in this case. I would suggest that all persons involved with the matches be investigated, not just the players.

In February 2004, it was reported that you were writing a book and had promised "sensational" revelations about match-fixing. What happened to that book?

The book is almost complete. In fact it was to be launched last year but my co-writer fell sick. Hence the book remained away from the market, but now I would like to take some more time to cover the developments in the World Cup.

Are you willing to give us an idea of what some of those revelations were?

I can't tell you right now. You have to wait for the book. What I will tell you is that the book is named "Gloves Off".

You accused team-mates of corruption in the mid-1990s and also gave evidence about match-fixing to the Qayyum inquiry. Why did you take such a strong stand against corruption in the game?

This is how I am, if something wrong is happening around, I simply can't turn a blind eye to it.

Cricket is my passion; whatever I am today is just because of this game. Therefore whatever I did was for the sake of cricket only.

I think my name might have something to do with my nature. Rashid means "the one who always shows the right path", and Latif means "the one who knows the secret".

When I spoke out for the first time in 1995 many called me a liar, from then onwards I started my struggle to prove myself correct.

In the meantime a few inquires were carried out but to no avail until the 1997-98 season, when the then PCB Chief Majid Khan announced a probe into a suspicious match at Sharjah in 1998.

In that inquiry I appeared before Justice Qayyum for the very first time with concrete evidences (I was never called in for a statement in any of the previous inquires).

I still remember those words said by Justice Qayyum after my statement. He said: "I (Qayyum) was to call off the inquiry but after your (Rashid) statement, I (Qayyum) feel that the inquiry has just started".

I had nothing personal against the players and my relationship with all those players were not that bad either, because they knew that Rashid was right.

Question: In 2002, you said you would like to work with the ICC's Anti-Corruption Unit after retiring as a player - what contact have you had with the ACU since you last played international cricket?

Initially I was willing to work with the Anti-Corruption Unit and had a detailed meeting with ACU officials in London in 2003 in which I spoke at length about the corruption in the Test-playing nations, but I somehow felt that the ACU could not do anything significant about this grave issue.

I put my life at stake and shared important facts with the ACU, but I was not taken seriously. Afterwards they approached me a few times but I refused to meet them.

Since the ACU was set up by the ICC, the only player to be publicly identified and punished was Kenya's Maurice Odumbe, who was found guilty of receiving money from an Indian bookmaker. How successful do you think the ACU has been in dealing with corruption in the game?

In my opinion the ACU has to strengthen its information network.

They might not have anything more in their database than what I provided them.

The ACU should work in close coordination with the intelligence agencies in cricket playing nations, for example India's Central Bureau of Investigation has done a fair job to curb betting.

Not once but twice the CBI caught international players involved in some sort of match-fixing.

As far as Odumbe is concerned, I do not believe he was caught by the ACU.

I think he was proven guilty because of the split in the relationship with his wife/girlfriend.

Also, Kenya has a very weak cricket board which let the ACU to carry out the investigation on its own.

Other cricket boards conduct inquiries themselves and don't let the ACU to intervene.

All in all the ACU has been highly unsuccessful and the murder of Mr Woolmer, if linked to match-fixing, is a proof of it.

Betting on cricket is known to be widespread in the sub-continent but how much corruption involving players do you think there still is in international cricket?

The ACU thinks that Karachi, Dubai and Mumbai are the main betting centres, I think this is not the case they should also concentrate on the continent of Africa.

Players are being caught and punished which means that there is something wrong happening.

There is now speculation in the media about the validity of Pakistan's games against West Indies and Ireland at the World Cup. What is your view of the team's performances in those two matches?

Without any proof I am not in a position to comment on those matches.

Finally, if it is proven in due course that Mr Woolmer's death was linked to corruption in the game, what action do you think the ICC should take?

If it is proven then any form of betting in any country should be immediately banned by amending that country's law.

Some form of betting is allowed in some countries (although in India and Pakistan betting is illegal), but the governments in these countries have to take some strict actions to stop it.