Captaincy amidst spot-fixing furore is a big challenge: Afridi

Shahid Afridi on Friday said leading the side in the upcoming One-day series against England would be the biggest challenge of his career in the wake of spot-fixing allegations against the three of their top players.
Afridi, who has played 27 Tests, 296 one-dayers and 35 T20 matches, also said that Pakistan was feeling the heat after the allegations surfaced.

"It has not been easy for the players. But I think the team management took the right decision to release these players even before they were suspended.

"Because not only were Salman (Butt), Aamir and Asif under pressure but the rest of the team was also feeling the heat of the allegations," he said.
Afridi said the players were making an effort to avoid discussing the issue in training or in the dressing room and just focus on the cricket.
"The players are avoiding talking about it because they know the best thing they can do right now is to focus on the coming matches and try to do well in them," he told Geo Super channel.
"For me personally it is a big challenge to lead the team in the existing conditions but I have tried my best to relax the players and insist they just concentrate on cricket itself."
The Pakistan Cricket Board announced two youngsters, batsman Asad Shafiq and left-arm pace bowler Muhammad Irfan as replacements for the one-day series following the suspension of the tainted trio.
Afridi said he was consulted in the finalisation of the replacements.
"I know they have lot of talent and it is a challenge for me to try to get this team to fight hard. Obviously we will miss the three but we have good back up talent and we have to manage with it in the coming matches," he said.
Afridi said that he hoped that the three players would be eventually cleared of any wrong doing.
"I feel sad at the current situation and I hope it turns out well for Pakistan cricket. But for the time being we just need to show the world we are a top cricket nation," he said.

Amir to be removed from ICC award list

London: The name of the suspended Pakistan paceman Mohammad Aamir will be removed from the list of nominees for the ICC Emerging Player of the Year award.

The 18-year-old Aamir, who was one of the 16 cricketers nominated for the ICC award, was favourite to bag the honour.                

But Aamir, along with Pakistan captain Salman Butt and other paceman Mohammad Asif, was provisionally suspended by the game's world governing body in the wake of a spot-fixing scandal.

"In accordance with the provisions of the code, this means they are immediately barred from participating in all cricket and related activities until the case has been concluded," ICC had said in a statement.
An ICC official told Cricinfo website that "Amir's removal from the list could be confirmed by 'reading between the lines'."
The 2010 awards recognise cricketing achievement for the period between August 24, 2009 and August 10, 2010. During the time, Aamir bagged 33 wickets at an average of 31.45 in nine Tests and 16 wickets in 10 ODIs.
He also became the youngest player to reach 50 wickets during the Lord's Test, which is at the centre of controversy.
It has been alleged the tainted bowlers bowled deliberate no-balls during the Test

Salman Butt found with marked currency

Cash used in the spot-fixing scandal is understood to have been found in the belongings of Salman Butt, a report said.

According to a report in the Daily Mail, Scotland Yard officers would question Butt on Friday over how marked notes were discovered from his hotel room and in his locker at the Lord's cricket ground.
The money is believed to have been part of 150,000 pounds handed over by an undercover News of the World reporter to the alleged fixer Mazhar Majeed, the newspaper said.
The cash, given to Majeed for fixing three no-balls of the Lord's Test between Pakistan and England, is understood to have been secretly marked so that it could be later identified by police.
According to the report, the recovered money was undergoing forensic tests to confirm police suspicions that it came from the News of the World sting.
"Early indications suggest the money found in possession of Butt originated from the sting. There are good reasons to believe this was the case," the newspaper quoted sources as saying.
The revelation came after the International Cricket Council had charged and provisionally suspended the tainted Pakistani trio - Butt, pacer Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer - from all forms of the game pending a decision on the charges.

Dixit: I will sue Veena Malik

Indian photographer Dheeraj Dixit has threatened to sue Mohammad Asif’s ex girlfriend Veena Malik
"I am going to sue Veena Malik for tarnishing my image. I am talking to my lawyers as to how much damages can be claimed," he told a Indian news channel.

The freelance photographer sits with his earlier statements that it was Veena Malik who actually tried to fix matches with his help

"When I was in Dhaka in connection with a cricket series, Veena had called me that Asif is too naive to fix a match. She claimed that she manages Asif's affairs. She asked me if I could help her as I am very close to the players,"

The Pakistani actress had accused Dheeraj Dixit of being involved in match-fixing along with Mohammad Asif. However, Dixit claims to have the proof that would clear his name.
"I have all the documentary evidence and will come out clean of this mess. I have nothing to do with cricket fixing,"
"I am going to sue Veena Malik for tarnishing my image. I am talking to my lawyers as to how much damages can be claimed,"
The freelance photographer sits with his earlier statements that it was Veena Malik who actually tried to fix matches with his help
"When I was in Dhaka in connection with a cricket series, Veena had called me that Asif is too naive to fix a match. She claimed that she manages Asif's affairs. She asked me if I could help her as I am very close to the players,"
The Pakistani actress had accused Dheeraj Dixit of being involved in match-fixing along with Mohammad Asif. However, Dixit claims to have the proof that would clear his name.
I have all the documentary evidence and will come out clean of this mess. I have nothing to do with cricket fixing,"

Imran should take over Pak cricket: Kapil

KOLKATA: Former skipper Imran Khan should take over Pakistan cricket team to save it from the crisis arising out of the 'spot-fixing' scandal, India's World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev said on Thursday.

Describing the 1992 World Cup-winning Pakistan captain the "cleanest" cricketer in the nation mired in fixing scandal, Kapil said, "In this time of crisis, I can think of Imran Khan as the cleanest cricketer to look after Pakistan cricket. He can really put the nation out of this controversy."
Kapil added that he felt sorry for Pakistan cricket. "I really feel sorry for Pakistan cricket and cricketers. Nothing is going right for them at the moment. We don't want Pakistan cricket to die. They have produced some wonderful cricketers over the years," he said.
Asked whether the tainted trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer should be banned if they are found guilty, the former all-rounder merely said the guilty should be punished.

"We should not pre-judge them. Let the right people investigate into the matter. The guilty should be punished," said the 51-year-old who was here to inaugurate the Tea Board of India Chess for Youth tournament.

The former India captain urged not to place bets on cricket.
"Never bet on cricket. Let's talk about the positive sides of the game. There are just a two to three percent involved in betting so we should not talk about them. We must talk about the remaining 98 per cent who are doing so much for the betterment of the game."
Appealing to the ICC to bring an end to betting, Kapil said, "This game is really beautiful and very close to all of us, so let's not spoil it."

Pakistan Test skipper Salman Butt and pacers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer are facing a Scotland Yard investigation over their alleged involvement in a 'spot-fixing' scandal "exposed" by a British tabloid sting operation. Kapil said that sport other than cricket should also be given importance.

"Cricket is not the only sport. Let's think about other sporting disciplines also and take them to the level of cricket. However, this does not mean that we lower the value of cricket. Media should come forward and support every sport in the country," he said while inaugurating the competition at the Netaji Indoor Stadium.

Shahid Afridi will be under pressure: Akram

New Delhi: Pakistan’s ODI captain Shahid Afridi will be under tremendous pressure as it is a difficult time for him in the wake of the spot-fixing scandal, feels Wasim Akram. “Afridi will be under massive pressure to ensure the team plays good cricket,” Akram told ESPN-Starsports. “More than anything, Afridi will first have to ensure that he commands the respect of his team mates. Afridi has to win the trust of his mates first,” he added