Karachi, Nov 21 (IANS) Pakistan have dropped Wahab Riaz from the squad for the tour of Bangladesh after the pacer's name was mentioned in the recent spot-fixing trial.
Riaz was a part of the squad for last month's Test series against Sri Lanka in United Arab Emirates (UAE) but was sent home he was named in court as being allegedly involved in the scam. Riaz has been replaced in the Test squad by 23-year-old quick bowler Mohammad Talha.
A London court earlier this year sentenced Salman Butt, Mohammed Amir and Mohammad Asif to jail for spot-fixing at the Lord's Test last year. The trio's agent Mazhar Majeed, a bookie, was also found guilty.
During the trial, an undercover reporter claimed that Majeed had told him that Wahab, Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal were players he could control in relation to fixing, the BBC reported.
Riaz made his debut against England at the Oval last year during an ill-fated series, which was marred with allegations of spot-fixing.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) refused to comment the reasons for Wahab's exclusion.
"We have picked the best possible team," said chief selector Mohammad Illyas.
Riaz had said that he is ready for any investigation by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to clear his name.
"I don't like these media reports insinuating things about me. The selectors dropped me for the one-day series against Sri Lanka - that is their decision. But to insinuate I have been dropped because of some spot-fixing allegations is not acceptable," he said.
Pakistan will play two Tests, three one-dayers and one Twenty20 international in Bangladesh from November 26.
Pakistan Test squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Farhat, Taufiq Umar, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Shoaib Malik, Adnan Akmal, Junaid Khan, Aizaz Cheema, Mohammad Talha, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman, Umar Gul
One-day squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Farhat, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Shoaib Malik, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Junaid Khan, Aizaz Cheema, Sohail Tanvir, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman, Umar Gul
Butt gets 30-month sentence, Asif one year, Aamer 6 months
2011/11/3 11:18:48 London, Nov 3 (IANS) Former Pakistan cricket captain Salman Butt was sentenced to 30 months in prision for spot fixing by the Southwark Crown Court here Thursday. Fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer were handed one year and six months sentences.
The trio was involved in spot fixing during the Lord's Test against England last August.
Cricket bookie Mazhar Majeed was given a 32 months sentence for his involvement in spot fixing, according to BBC.
2011/11/3 5:36:16 Islamabad, Nov 3 (IANS) It is a sad time for Pakistan cricket with a London court finding former Pakistan captain Salman Butt and fast bowler Muhammad Asif guilty of corruption, said a daily while stressing the need to "clean up our domestic game".
The court found Butt and Asif guilty of cheating and corruption and they have already been banned from international cricket for five years.
The News International Thursday said in an editorial: "We had long suspected this would happen, since the now defunct News of the World broke news of the spot-fixing saga, backed by recordings of conversations between an undercover reporter and agent Mazhar Majeed."
"For Pakistan cricket, this is a very sad time. But what the new management at the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) needs to ask is if we have brought it upon ourselves by turning a blind eye to fixing for too long.
"After a huge scandal erupted in the late 1990s, some cricketers were banned. Former captain Saleem Malik was the most prominent among them. But numerous others went unpunished..."
It said that "too little was done" to solve the matter, and "most close observers of the game in the country will testify to the fact that fixing is very much part of the first class game in the country".
The editorial added that spot fixing, "where a particular event in a game is pre-determined, is believed to have been born in the sub-continent".
"We need to clean up our domestic game, even though this is a mammoth job. We also need to teach our cricketers to remember the significance of wearing the national colours.
"It is true that corruption in cricket exists elsewhere too, but that still doesn't make it acceptable. Pakistan's name has crept up a little too often in match-fixing and spot-fixing scandals. We must act now to ensure this does not happen again in the future and that we never face the embarrassment we are confronting today."
2011/11/19 19:17:22 London, Nov 19 (IANS) The appeals of jailed Pakistani cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammed Aamer will be heard by the Court of Appeal Wednesday for their involvement in spot fixing against England in the Lord's Test.
Former Pakistan captain Butt got a jail term of 30 months while teenager Aamer has been sentenced for six months.
Butt, Aamer and the third accused, pace bowler Mohammad Asif became the first cricketers to be convicted for any form of fixing in the sport.
They were found guilty of spot fixing in the Lord's Test against England last year.
Time to introduce reforms in Pakistan cricket: Sohail
2011/11/2 13:02:13 London, Nov 2 (IANS) Former Pakistan captain and opening batsman Aamer Sohail fears if the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) does not learn from the latest incident of spot-fixing, such things will continue to happen.
Sohail, who played 47 Test matches, said it was time for the PCB to make wholesale changes in the national team.
"We have seen similar episodes in the past. It all happened, but the net result is that it is happening again. Until you learn and introduce reforms and proper strategy, I am afraid it will continue to happen in the future," Sohail was quoted as saying by BBC.
"It is a very sad thing for Pakistan cricket. These three were very talented. People were expecting they would do well for the country. The loss of talent like this is really sad," he said.
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq also added that the team was not distracted with the news of Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif found guilty of spot-fixing by a London court.
Misbah said the team was fully focused on their current series against Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Misbah, who replaced Butt as the captain since the Lord's Test, has led the Test side admirably, ensuring that Pakistan went undefeated in series against South Africa, New Zealand and the West Indies. Pakistan lead the Test series against Sri Lanka 1-0 after two matches.
"We have a good bunch of boys and everyone is focusing on their own performance and the team's performance. There's a good spirit. We know each other well and that's the key. The country's name comes first, people come and go, every player needs to remember that," he said.
Cricketing world welcomes jail for tainted Pakistanis
2011/11/3 11:22:52 London, Nov 3 (IANS) The cricketing world Thursday welcomed the jail terms for tainted Pakistani players Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir, saying the punishments will serve as a deterrent for those who bring disrepute to the game.
Butt and Asif were jailed for 30 months and 12 months while 19-year-old Aamir, who pleaded guilty before the trial, was given a six-month sentence for their involvement in spot-fixing in 2010 Lord's Test. The trio's agent Mazhar Majeed was also sentenced to two years and six months in jail.
Legendary cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan said it was a sad day for Pakistan cricket.
"I feel very sad today not only for the players but for Pakistan and its cricket. But the fact is that when these players see corrupt people flourishing in our society, they think they can get away with anything," Khan was quoted as saying by Geo News.
"It is a shameful day for Pakistan cricket today. I feel very bad for Amir in particular because he is still very young. I think he saw others doing it and thought he could get away with it as well," he added.
Another former Pakistan captain, Ramiz Raja said that he has no sympathy for the tainted cricketers.
"I have no sympathy. They hurt Pakistan cricket and now justice has been done. We needed to get rid of such elements from the game and it's good for world cricket," said Raja.
Rashid Latif, a whistleblower and former Pakistan captain, said he feels vindicated now.
"They deserved this punishment, they had it coming. But now the Pakistan government and Pakistan Cricket Board should also take action against them. These convictions will hopefully serve as a deterrent to others in future because cricket should not be allowed to be corrupted by anyone," Latif was quoted as saying by the English media.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan was delighted with the way the spot-fixing issue was handled.
"I hope it sends a shockwave through the game - I really do - and I'm delighted with the way it's been handled. I still believe there's more out there. I still believe more can be done to try and capture more than just the three that we've been seeing in court over the last few weeks," he said.
2011/11/5 12:33:39 Karachi, Nov 5 (IANS) Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi Saturday claimed that he was approached by jailed bookmaker Mazhar Majeed several times but he distanced himself from the agent as he seemed like a "shady" character.
Majeed and Pakistani players Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer were given jail terms by a London court Thursday after being found guilty of spot-fixing during the team's away series in England last year.
Afridi said he avoided Majeed whenever he tried to meet him.
"He always tried to contact me personally in the hotel and wanted time to meet me but I avoided him all the time because I had my suspicions that he was not trustworthy and involved in betting," Afridi was quoted as saying by The Express Tribune.
Majeed, during his testimony in the court, had said that it was difficult to get Afridi involved in spot-fixing.
Afridi dismissed Majeed's claims that Pakistani players were involved in spot-fixing during the time he was captain.
"I never felt that any player was doing something wrong and deliberately trying to let me down. I would have been the first man to throw them out and deal with it strongly," said 31-year-old Afridi, who recently came out of self-imposed retirement.
Majeed was jailed for 32 month, while Butt, Asif and Aamer were sentenced for 30, 12 and six months, respectively.
Afridi said he especially felt sad for young fast bowler Aamer.
"He is a great talent and I believe because of his age he was trapped in this scandal," said Afridi.
2011/11/1 10:42:07 Karachi, Nov 1 (IANS) The joy of having a newcomer in the Butt family here was short-lived as former Pakistan captain Salman Butt was found guilty of spot-fixing by a London court minutes before he became a father for the second time.
Butt's wife gave birth to a baby boy, their second child, minutes before the cricketer was found guilty of spot-fixing by a London court. The couple has an elder daughter.
Butt's father Zulfiqar confirmed the news of the new born baby in their family.
"My son Salman was blessed with a baby boy 30 minutes before the verdict came," Zulfiqar was quoted as saying by the Pakistani media. "We are extremely sad that my son has been found guilty. We hope god will bring him out of this trouble because these are very difficult times for him and the family," he added.
Butt along with fast bowler Mohammad Asif were found guilty on the 20th day of the trial at the Southwark Crown Court in London. The judge is likely to hand down the sentencing Thursday.
The verdicts were reached on three of the four charges, but the jury were divided on the fourth charge and returned to debate whether Asif accepted corrupt payments. The duo plotted to deliberately bowl no-balls during a Lord's Test match in 2010 against England. Bowler Mohammad Aamir had already pleaded guilty to the charges.
Butt faces up to a maximum of seven years in prison for his role during the spot-fixing scam which was exposed following a sting operation by the now-defunct newspaper News of the World.
Committed to eradicate match-fixing: Cricket Australia
2011/11/2 5:18:20 Melbourne, Nov 2 (IANS) Cricket Australia (CA) chief executive James Sutherland says administrators need to step up their effort to make cricket corruption free in the wake of the conviction of the two Pakistan players for match fixing.
"It is critically important that the public has confidence in the integrity of the on-field cricket contests.
"Like all other member countries, we have an obligation to implement anti-corruption measures and we are even more committed to this after hearing the news out of the London courts. Our consistent position has been that any credible evidence of corruption be investigated with vigour," Sutherland said reacting to the conviction of Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif for match fixing.
Sutherland said that anti-corruption should continue to be a priority for ICC.
"As an ICC member, CA has long supported the ICC's view that anti-corruption needs to be a priority wherever the game is played."
Continuing education within cricket and the maintenance of a strong anti-corruption culture throughout the game is an important factor in eradicating match-fixing, he said.
Michael Clarke, who is leading the Australian team in South Africa, said the verdict should act as a strong deterrent for anyone who gets involved in match-fixing.
"There is no place in any sport for match fixing of any kind and the verdicts handed down today in the UK should act as a strong deterrent for any player or administrator who tries to denigrate our great game."
"While today's proceedings are a step in the right direction, it is hugely important that the authorities continue to put processes in place to rid the game of match fixing forever."
2011/11/5 12:34:58 London, Nov 5 (IANS) England's Test captain Andrew Strauss has called the world cricket body's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) a "toothless tiger" following the spot-fixing scandal that resulted in imprisonment of three Pakistani players.
Bookmaker Mazhar Majeed along with players Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer were given jail terms by a London court Thursday after being found guilty of spot-fixing during the team's away series in England last year.
Strauss said his main concern was that the spot-fixing episode was brought to light by defunct tabloid News of the World and International Cricket Council's ACSU played no role in it.
"For me, there is still a lot of questions to be answered because they weren't exposed by any of the cricketing members, they were exposed by the News of the World," Strauss was quoted as saying by The Guardian.
"I still think the ICC could be doing a lot more than they are doing. Unfortunately, the anti-corruption unit is a pretty toothless tiger. They can't get into the real depth of it all because they haven't got the resources available to them.
"I don't hold it against them, they are doing the best job they possibly can. They can't do sting operations like the News of the World; they can't infiltrate these betting networks. They have tried their best.
Strauss hoped that only a handful of cricketers were involved in the menace called spot-fixing.
"I am very hopeful that only a minor percentage of cricketers are involved in it, hopefully that is the case but the truth is we really don't know."
On the court verdict, Strauss added: "It is hard to be happy or satisfied when something like this happens. I think it is fantastic that there has been some sort of repercussions for what these guys did and there is some sort of deterrent there."
2011/11/1 10:40:55 London, Nov 1 (IANS) Pakistan's tainted crickters Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif face jail as the Southwark Crown Court here Tuesday found them guilty of conspiracy to cheat and accept corrupt payments.
Butt was held guilty on two counts - conspiracy to accept corrupt payments and cheat - while fast bowler Asif was found guilty of conspiracy to cheat. According to reports, the pair showed no reaction as the jury's verdict was read out. The duo plotted to deliberately bowl no-balls during a Lord's Test match in 2010 against England.
Bowler Mohammad Aamir had already pleaded guilty to the charges.
The court heard the two players, along with Aamir, and London-based sports agent Mazhar Majeed, 36. They quartet was involved in fixing parts of the Lord's Test.
Both Asif and Butt had denied conspiracy to cheat and accept corrupt payments but the jury at the Southwark Crown Court here found them guilty of conspiring to cheat. The verdicts came on the 20th day of the trial and required 16 hours of deliberation from the 12-man jury. The judge is likely to hand down the sentencing Thursday.
The verdicts were reached on three of the four charges, but the jury were divided on the fourth charge and returned to debate whether Asif accepted corrupt payments. Butt faces up to a maximum of seven years in prison for his role during the spot-fixing scam which was exposed following a sting operation by the now-defunct newspaper News of the World.
Prosecutors said that the tainted cricketers were motivated by greed to "contaminate" a match that was watched by millions all over the world and also betray the sport, the national team and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Prosecutor Aftab Jafferjee said the case "revealed a depressing tale of rampant corruption at the heart of international cricket".
The cricketers were suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in February for their role in spot-fixing. Butt was banned for 10 years while Asif and Aamir were suspended for seven and five years after they were found guilty by an independent tribunal comprising Michael Beloff QC, Sharad Rao and Justice Albie Sachs in Doha.
Former ICC president Ehsan Mani, a Pakistani, said the two players should be made an example for others.
"These two players should be made an example for others. It is a strong message to PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board). Things were not in order. It is not acceptable for everyone, including the cricket lovers of Pakistan. However, I feel the menace is not confined to Pakistan. The cricketers of other countries are also involved," he said.
2011/11/1 11:05:28 Pakistan's tainted crickters Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif face jail as the Southwark Crown Court here Tuesday found them guilty of conspiracy to cheat and accept corrupt payments.
Butt was held guilty on two counts - conspiracy to accept corrupt payments and cheat - while fast bowler Asif was found guilty of conspiracy to cheat. According to reports, the pair showed no reaction as the jury's verdict was read out. The duo plotted to deliberately bowl no-balls during a Lord's Test match in 2010 against England.
Bowler Mohammad Aamir had already pleaded guilty to the charges.
The court heard the two players, along with Aamir, and London-based sports agent Mazhar Majeed, 36. They quartet was involved in fixing parts of the Lord's Test.
Both Asif and Butt had denied conspiracy to cheat and accept corrupt payments but the jury at the Southwark Crown Court here found them guilty of conspiring to cheat. The verdicts came on the 20th day of the trial and required 16 hours of deliberation from the 12-man jury. The judge is likely to hand down the sentencing Thursday.
The verdicts were reached on three of the four charges, but the jury were divided on the fourth charge and returned to debate whether Asif accepted corrupt payments. Butt faces up to a maximum of seven years in prison for his role during the spot-fixing scam which was exposed following a sting operation by the now-defunct newspaper News of the World.
Prosecutors said that the tainted cricketers were motivated by greed to "contaminate" a match that was watched by millions all over the world and also betray the sport, the national team and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Prosecutor Aftab Jafferjee said the case "revealed a depressing tale of rampant corruption at the heart of international cricket".
The cricketers were suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in February for their role in spot-fixing. Butt was banned for 10 years while Asif and Aamir were suspended for seven and five years after they were found guilty by an independent tribunal comprising Michael Beloff QC, Sharad Rao and Justice Albie Sachs in Doha.
Former ICC president Ehsan Mani, a Pakistani, said the two players should be made an example for others.
"These two players should be made an example for others. It is a strong message to PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board). Things were not in order. It is not acceptable for everyone, including the cricket lovers of Pakistan. However, I feel the menace is not confined to Pakistan. The cricketers of other countries are also involved," he said.
2011/11/4 12:09:32 Sydney, Nov 4 (IANS) Australian vice captain Shane Watson feels cricketers found guilty of corruption should be banned for life.
Watson's comments come in the wake of a landmark judgement by a London court Thursday when Pakistani cricketers Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer became the first cricketers to be jailed after being found guilty of spot-fixing during a series in England last year.
"In the end, I think a life ban is surely enough to be able to say to people that it is the wrong thing to do. It is challenging the integrity and taking the game of cricket down," Watson was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald.
"Whether it is jail, whether it is a life (playing) sentence, there is no doubt that the punishments are very severe for doing the wrong thing.
"Since I first started playing, you know that if you do something wrong in that regard you won't be playing cricket ever again.
"For me personally, it has (cricket) given me an amazing life and something I only ever dreamed of, so I would never want to do anything that even questioned the ability for me to be able to play the game that I love so much."
Watson was sad to see the punishments meted out to the Pakistani cricketers but said they deserved it.
"It is very disappointing when you see the things that have happened in England with the Pakistan guys and, in the end, they deserve the punishment."
Former captain Butt was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison, while Asif and Aamer were given a one-year and six month term respectively.
Questions are also being raised on the instances of spot-fixing during Australia's victory over Pakistan at Lord's Test last year.
Watson, who took a five-wicket haul in that match, said he did not suspect any wrongdoing.
"No, not at all actually. I didn't think anything untoward at all apart from trying our best and them trying their best to win the game," he said.
"We have played quite a bit of cricket against them throughout the last two or three years as well, with the Test series in Australia as well as over in England and some one-day series as well.
"I definitely didn't suspect anything of what has come out over the last year or so.
"Hopefully, we as international cricketers can continue to build the game back up for people to continue to love the game and know that we are out there just giving our best every time and providing entertainment that people hopefully enjoy."
Pakistan's Butt, Asif found guilty by London court
2011/11/1 10:39:38 London, Nov 1 (IANS) Pakistan's former captain Salman Butt was held guilty on two counts - conspiracy to accept corrupt payments and cheat - while fast bowler Mohammad Asif was found guilty of conspiracy to cheat by the Southwark Crown Court here Tuesday.
The duo had denied conspiracy to cheat and accept corrupt payments but the jury at the Southwark Crown Court here found them guilty of conspiring to cheat.
The verdicts came on the 20th day of the trial and required 16 hours of deliberation from the 12-man jury. The judge is likely to hand down the sentencing Thursday.
The verdicts were reached on three of the four charges, but the jury were divided on the fourth charge and returned to debate whether Asif accepted corrupt payments. The duo plotted to deliberately bowl no-balls during a Lord's Test match in 2010 against England. Bowler Mohammad Amir had already pleaded guilty to the charges.
Butt faces up to a maximum of seven years in prison for his role during the spot-fixing scam which was exposed following a sting operation by the now-defunct newspaper News of the World.
Former ICC president Ehsan Mani, a Pakistani, said the two players should set an example for others.
"These two players should be made an example for others. It is a strong message to PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board). Things were not in order. It is not acceptable for everyone, including the cricket lovers of Pakistan. However, I feel the menace is not confined to Pakistan. The cricketers of other countries are also involved," he said.
Judge tells Butt he was the 'orchestrator' of spot-fixing
2011/11/3 11:20:23 London, Nov 3 (IANS) The judge at the Southwark Crown Court while punishing the three Pakistani cricketers for their role in spot-fixing said Thursday that he had reserved the harshest of the sentences for former captain Salman Butt since he was the "orchestrator of the activity."
Butt was sentenced to 30 months in prison while Mohammad Asif was handed 12 months' sentence. Young fast bowler Mohammad Aamir, now 19, was given six-month term since he had pleaded guilty.
The trio along with London-based sports agent Mazhar Majeed, who was sentenced to 32 months in prison, were involved in spot-fixing during the Lord's Test here last August. The incident was revealed in a sting operation conducted by the now defunct News of the World tabloid.
Justice Cooke while handing out the sentences told Majeed that "you and Salman Butt were the architects" of the fixing.
The judge said that he would bear in mind that players have been banned from playing for five years.
"The image and integrity of what was once a game but is now a business has been damaged in the eyes of all. You have let down all supporters of the game. Your motive was greed, despite the legitimate rewards on offer in salaries and prize money. Offences so serious that only a sentence of imprisonment will suffice," the judge said.
After handing out the sentence to Majeed, the judge moved on to Butt and told him "clear to me that you were orchestrator of this activity."
The judge also told Butt that he was involved in spot-fixing in the past as well, but will punish him only for the Lord's Test. Butt was also told that he would get harsher sentences than the other two players and was also held responsible by the judge for corrupting Aamir.
"You did a terrible thing," the judge told Butt after sentencing him.
While punishing Aamir, the judge told the young fast bowler that he respects the guilty plea.
"It took courage," Justice Cooke told Aamir.
As Aamir watched intently, the judge told him that he hasn't taken opportunity to give more details of threats the cricketer claimed were made to him.
"You come from village background where life is hard. You were only 18 and readily lent on by others," the sympathetic judge told the cricketer.
Majeed revealed that he gave 77,500 pounds of the News of World money to players. Amir got 2,500 pounds. Butt got 10,000 pounds while Asif got a whopping 65,000 pounds.
The players were also ordered to pay compensation towards cost of prosecution. Butt has to shell out 30,937 pounds while Asif and Amir will be paying 8,120 pounds and 9,389 pounds.
Veena Malik attacks Neetu Chandra from Indian turf!
2010/10/6 5:34:37
As if tossing baseless allegations and falsely claiming that actress Neetu Chandra is involved in the international match-fixing scandal wasn’t enough, Veena Malik, a starlet based in Pakistan, is now hurling more accusations at the Bollywood actress, this time from Indian turf.
Veena recently made headlines by claiming that her ex-boyfriend; Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Asif and his team-mates Salman Butt and Mohammed Aamer were involved in spot-fixing in the series against England. While the Interpol and Scotland Yard are reported to be investigating the matter, Veena came up with fresh allegations that Bollywood actress Neetu Chandra had a relationship with the tainted Asif. She further declared that Neetu had a hand in the match-fixing scandal which has taken the cricketing world by storm.
“I saw her number flash on Asif’s cellphone many times; that’s what I told the investigators,” mentioned Veena in an interview to a newspaper just before entering the Bigg Boss House in Lonavala.
Neetu Chandra’s publicist Dale Bhagwagar, who has repeatedly denied and rubbished all of Veena Malik’s claims, was quick to react, “Neetu has no connection with either match-fixing, Mohammad Asif or any Pakistani cricketer. She is not even a cricket fan and has never ever watched a complete cricket match.”
Meanwhile, Veena’s speculatory claims about Neetu are putting a big question mark on the credibility of her scandalous statements. “Whatever Veena Malik says in Bigg Boss too should be taken with a pinch of salt. It seems, she says things for effect and to attract attention of gullible audiences,” remarked the celebrity publicist.
When asked why Veena could be continuously dragging Neetu’s name in the cricket scandal, Bhagwagar said, “It remains a mystery we’d ourselves like to solve. Veena has earlier stated that she has Bollywood dreams. Media mileage in India is the only reason we can suspect as of now. What we don’t understand is why Veena has without cause picked Neetu for it!”
YS Jagan is now reportedly planning to go to Pakistan. This has surprised not only his followers and party cadre but also the people in the state.
The move by Jagan baffled many and they started making secret enquiries. They were however shocked to know the reason.
In the recent world cup, semi-final encounter between India and Pakistan India beat Pakistan.
According to reports, as many as 25 people died due to shock at the defeat of Pakistan. Therefore, Jagan now wants to conduct a ‘Odarpu Yatra’ in Pakistan to console the kith and kin of the deceased!
Match-fixing not just restricted to sub-continent: Lee
2011/11/3 11:18:07 Melbourne, Nov 3 (IANS) Australian fast bowler Brett Lee says that match-fixing was not just restricted to the sub-continent but can happen in any part of the world where cricket is played.
"What I will say publicly is that it's not just the subcontinent and I don't want to focus on Pakistan or India or people might think it's because (of) the subcontinent," the the Australian press quoted the pacer as saying.
Lee said whenever he walked out to the field he never had the feeling that any of his team mates were involved in shady activities.
"It's every day, (an) every walk of life type of thing and it's not just cricket. The most important thing is, I believe, that every time I walked out on the field, and the players that have played with me, there was certainly nothing that would ever make me think personally that there was something dodgy going on," he added.
In his autobiography 'My Life', Lee recalled an incident saying that he was approached by a man with potential links to bookmakers during the 2009 Ashes series.
"We were in a bar/hotel set-up. A guy came and offered to buy us a drink. I just didn't feel right, reported it to the team manager and then it turned out that he was potentially, if not, a bookmaker. There was nothing ever said but I just didn't feel right in that circumstance. I actually did walk away. Have I ever been asked to bowl (a particular way by a bookie)? No," said Lee.
The 34-year-old Australian said the latest corruption scandal, involving three Pakistani cricketers Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif - had made cricketers apprehensive of talking to any stranger. The trio may face jail terms after they were convicted by a London court.
"You guys might ask what's the pitch going to do tomorrow. How do you answer that these days? It's sad that it could get to that state," he said.
Lee said the incident will surely tarnish the game's reputation but hoped that cricket will bounce back strongly.
"It's sad more than anything because they've gone down a path unfortunately, whether through bad advice or just a bad call. They're going to pay the price. It's a horrible moment because these young guys have got some serious talent.
"I do believe that cricket has got a great image. This will obviously tarnish it to a certain extent but I do believe that rather than focusing on the negatives that we can focus on the positives. Yes, it's an issue. It's hopefully been dealt with but I always look to the positives," he added.
A new Bollywood film about match fixing in cricket depicts a coach found dead under mysterious circumstances during a tournament -- mirroring the death of Bob Woolmer at the cricket World Cup in 2007.
Jannat, a fictional take on the grey areas of the game, is primarily the story of a bookie but director Kunal Deshmukh said the death of the Pakistan cricket coach did have its echoes in the film.
"The story of the man becoming a match fixer is fictional but the incident of a coach's death is certainly inspired from Woolmer's death," Deshmukh told Reuters on Wednesday.
Woolmer, 58, was found dead on March 18, 2007 - a day after Pakistan were eliminated from the World Cup in Jamaica following an upset loss to Ireland.
He was found unconscious in his hotel room and pronounced dead in hospital. Speculation about his death had included suggestions he had uncovered a match-fixing scandal - but Deshmukh said the film was not an attempt to solve the mystery.
"The film is not about Bob Woolmer and we are definitely not hinting at what happened to him, who all killed him and who were behind the tragedy," he said.
Jannat is slated to open in cinemas on May 2 and stars Bhatt-camp's favourite star Emraan Hashmi.
2011/11/19 12:26:15 The match fixing controversy refuses to die and pops up like a phoenix at the most unlikely situations and this time around it has come out of the slumber on the eve of the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards function, which pays tribute to world cricket heroes.
As coincidence would have it, the Award was instituted in the year 1996, the year that has run into the eye of the storm for skipper Mohamad Azharuddin electing to field against Sri Lanka in the World Cup semi finals and lost badly. Vinod Kambli raked up the issue again opening a fresh leaf of the unfinished chapter and the former captain has hit back in equal force and measure.
Allegations and denials apart, match fixing has got lot footage and reams of paper were consumed on the subject in regional, national and international media. Based on the inquiry by a former CBI top cop, BCCI imposed ban on Md Azharuddin, who was at the helm of Indian affairs and in the thick of the controversy when the scandal broke out; the gentleman’s game was never the same again.
Be it cricketers from South Africa, Pakistan, Australia, India the game behind the game has always gained popularity. During every major cricket match or on the eve of big games, it is a common site to see police posing with a couple of people, cell phones and some cash under the headline “Cricket betting racket busted”.
Whether or not betting is order of the day, the plain fact remains that there is lot of cash flow in terms of revenue and outflow and BCCI remains the richest autonomous body the country with the Government having little or no control over it. Pitched battles are fought for the top post and seasoned politicians, irrespective of party affiliations, associate themselves with the country’s cricketing body in one way or the other.
The general feeling that matches are fixed has gained more currency and stood stark exposed recently when the English court convicted Pakistani cricketers for spot fixing which can be dubbed as the 20-20 version of match fixing, where the trade goes on a ball-to-ball scale.
Films like Jannat has shown the ugly face of cricketing and how betting is operated with Emran Hashmi playing the swindler’s role and look-alike characters of Indian batsmen too were shown. Ninety-nine(99), the other film on betting in cricket, drives home the message that a film can be there without a script but for every cricket match the script is written in advance (fixing).
Back to the war of words, Vinod Kambli’s allegations were against Azhar’s decision to field against Sri Lanka, which according to him was questionable and Azhar retorted saying that it was a group decision.
All things remaining same, BCCI has to clear Azhar’s name and lift the ban imposed on him even as many unanswered questions, involving various nations on the betting scandal, still elude a convincing answer.
Spot betting is something that needs the attention of concerned authorities after the English crackdown. (INN)
2011/11/9 9:52:54 London, Nov 9 (IANS) Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt has appealed against his 30-month jail sentence for spot-fixing in a Test match against England at Lord's last year.
Butt, along with fellow teammates Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer, were sentenced Thursday after a London court found them guilty.
Butt'a lawyer Yasin Patel verified that an appeal had been filed against the sentence, the Guardian reported Wednesday.
A crown court found Butt to be the "orchestrator" for directing Asif and Aamer to bowl a no-ball at a pre-determined moment.
Butt is reportedly sharing a cell with his co-conspirator Asif at Wandsworth prison, though the prison service has refused to confirm the claim, the report said.
Asif is serving a 12-month sentence while Aamer, who was given a six-month sentence, has been reportedly moved from Feltham Young Offender's institution to the smaller Portland prison.
Pakistan's tainted crickters Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif face jail as the Southwark Crown Court here Tuesday found them guilty of conspiracy to cheat and accept corrupt payments.
The match fixing controversy refuses to die and pops up like a phoenix at the most unlikely situations and this time around it has come out of the slumber on the eve of the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards function, which pays tribute to world cricket heroes.
