Pakistan's one-day captain, Shahid Afridi, has issued a remarkable public apology on behalf of the three players at the centre of cricket's betting scandal.
"I think it is very bad news," he said. "On behalf of these players – I know they are not in this series – but on behalf of these boys I want to say sorry to all cricket lovers and all the cricketing nations."Afridi was at pains to distance himself from those implicated in the betting scandal – the Test captain, Salman Butt, and the fast bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif – as he arrived at nets ahead of Pakistan's Twenty20 game against England in Cardiff tomorrow.
He made no attempt to proclaim that they were innocent until proven guilty and he also stressed that he had no anger about the investigation into the players. "No," was his emphatic response.
Afridi also revealed that the Pakistan agent involved in the affair has travelled regularly with the team. "This guy has been travelling with the guys in the West Indies and in Australia," he said. "I saw him on the tours. I didn't know anything about this."
The players are undergoing an investigation by the Metropolitan police and the International Cricket Council have charged them under cricket's code of conduct.
Afridi guaranteed that the two Twenty20s and five ODIs would go ahead whatever further revelations might appear in tomorrow's newspapers.
"I told the boys don't read the newspapers tomorrow, just focus on cricket. I know the Pakistan people are very upset. We all love cricket. As I team all we can do is to play good, aggressive cricket and maybe when we go back home maybe the things will settle down.
"It is a big challenge for me as a captain but I think we are all ready and focused. Myself and the coach have already told the boys: 'Don't talk about this issue, we are here to play cricket.'"
