Afridi vows to win ODI, T20 series putting scandals behind

CARDIFF: Pakistan cricket team captain Shahid Afridi said that putting all controversies behind them, they want to win the One-day International and Twenty20 series against England.

He said that Azhar and Mazhar Majeed were agents of the players and he did not know anything beyond this.
Talking with media here on Saturday, Shahid Afridi said that he did not know who is Mazhar Majeed and what does he do but he was seen with players on some tours in the past.
The captain said that the team management has directed the players not to discuss spot fixing row but he wants to say sorry on behalf of the three tainted cricketers because this scandal severely shocked the Pakistani people.
He said that Pakistan cricket has been damaged by the news of the spot fixing.
Afridi said that the ODI and T20 series against England is a great challenge for him and he hopes that his team would play good and positive cricket in these matches.

Shahid Afridi issues apology on behalf of Pakistan's scandal-hit trio

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.'"

Bookie claims India-Sri Lanka Rajkot ODI was fixed

MUMBAI: Here's a lead for the International Cricket Council's ( ICC) Anti-Corruption Unit to probe into. A top bookmaker in India, who strictly maintains that he is not involved in the player-bookie nexus, says the December 15, 2009 India- Sri Lanka One-day match at Rajkot was suspicious. "Saaf nahi tha (it wasn't clean)," he told TOI on Friday.
Sri Lanka won the toss, elected to field and India ran amok scoring 414 runs on a placid track. In reply, Sri Lanka rode on Tillakaratne Dilshan's massive 160 and almost chased the target before falling short by 3 runs. Sri Lanka bowled 27 extras in the game, India bowled 21 and a total of 825 runs were scored at the Madhavrao Scindia ground that day.

"Sri Lanka were 401/5 with just 14 more runs needed from seven balls. The bets were coming in fast because punters wanted to balance the stakes. At the start, India looked firm favourites and there were almost no takers for Sri Lanka win. But towards the end, it all became a frenzy," says the bookie.

Right then, he received a text message on his mobile. The sender was a 20-year-old boy from Rajasthan who earlier used to work for him as a cleaner. He wrote: "Sab saude kaat do, aur call mat lena. India match le jar raha hai (Cancel all deals and don't take any further bets. India is winning the game)."
The bookmaker says instinct made him listen to his former employee and he turned out right. India won by three runs.
What was behind the SMS may never be known but the bookie continues to harp on the rumour of the amount of money that was transacted that night. "I am told that money around Rs 28 crore ($ 7m) changed hands that night," he says.
It is for the relevant authorities to try and see if there was any truth to the allegations. The bookie also went on to add a little more after his 'fixing' theory. "That was the last match that I heard was suspicious. I can also say that Indian players are clean. They're among the most impeccable, especially the senior players," he says.
With skeletons tumbling out of the Pakistan closet, while that may be of slight relief, it is still disturbing that there is talk a fixed game being played less than a year back in India. And one man, claims he has circumstantial evidence to prove it happened. Will the authorities probe this claim?
Read more: Bookie claims India-Sri Lanka Rajkot ODI was fixed - Top Stories - Cricket - Sports - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/top-stories/Bookie-claims-India-Sri-Lanka-Rajkot-ODI-was-fixed/articleshow/6488556.cms#ixzz0yZB3X9Dh

ICC put England in a fix over Mushtaq Ahmed's role within the team

Mushtaq Ahmed’s role with England is again under scrutiny after it emerged that the International Cricket Council advised them not to appoint him because he was tainted by corruption.
The spot-fixing crisis that has rocked the game this week has not only embroiled Pakistan but also highlighted the fact that several leading ex-players who have been implicated in corruption scandals, like Mushtaq and current Pakistan coach Waqar Younis, are still very much involved in the game.
Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief execut ive, and Sir Ronnie Flanagan, the head of their anticorruption unit, talked on Friday of the ‘biggest scandal cricket has faced since Hansie Cronje’ after suspending Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif for their alleged manipulation of the Lord’s Test.

Lorgat then reflected on how he warned the ECB about employing Mushtaq as spin bowling coach at the start of last year because of the condemnation of him by Justice Qayyum in his report into matchfixing involving Pakistan 10 years ago.‘We highlight anybody we’ve got on a list who has been labelled in one way or another, so I wrote to the ECB and issued them with a cautionary suggestion that they had to do due

diligence on Mushtaq, but they were satisfied with the appointment,’ said Lorgat.

‘We at the ICC do not employ people who have been tainted in the past but the ECB are entitled to make their own decisions.’
Qayyum was unequivocal in his criticism of the former Pakistan and Sussex leg-spinner.
‘There are sufficient grounds to cast strong doubt on Mushtaq Ahmed,’ the Pakistani judge summarised in his report in 2000. ‘He has brought the name of the Pakistan team into disrepute with, inter alia, associating with gamblers

'This commission recommends that Mushtaq Ahmed not be given any office of responsibility in the team or on the board.’

Despite that Mushtaq, 40, worked as assistant coach to Bob Woolmer with the Pakistan team and was then
appointed to England’s staff by Peter Moores. Now ‘Mushy’ has become a very popular member of the England set-up.
‘I hope this doesn’t stay with me for the rest of my career,’ said Mushtaq when he first joined England. ‘There wasn’t any evidence against me. If there had been I wouldn’t have worked for Pakistan.’
Mushtaq is not working with the England team at Cardiff ahead of Sunday’s first Twenty20 international against his native country but will be involved in the build-up to the Ashes.
                          
Andy Flower, the England team director, said he is still happy to have him as part of his team.
‘I am very comfortable with Mushtaq,’ said Flower. ‘He’s been brilliant for us as a team. He’s been a good coach, a good example to our players and support staff — and I’m looking forward to him working with us again when he joins us in Australia. He’s a lovely man.’
Meanwhile, Butt, Asif and Aamer, who is set to be dropped from the list of contenders for the ICC’s emerging player of the year award, were on Friday interviewed by police in Kilburn, north London before later being released without charge.

Sir Ronnie, the former chief constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, said they had been suspended because they had ‘a really arguable case to answer’.

‘At the worst end of the scale, if guilt is found, then the punishment can range right up to a life ban from the game,’ said Sir Ronnie before warning it would take some time before any investigation is concluded.
He added that he was considering adding to the ranks of the anticorruption unit in a bid to stamp out any other potential corruption in the game. Sir Ronnie did, however, claim that the problem of ‘spot-fixing’ is not widespread within the sport.
‘I do not see this as the tip of the iceberg,’ he said.
Pakistan have called up batsman Asad Shafiq and 7ft 1in fast bowler Mohammad Irfan, the tallest man ever to play professional cricket, to bolster their one-day squad after the suspensions.

Shahid Afridi says Pakistan vs. England ODI series to be eventful

After the horrific scandal that the young Pakistani cricket team has suffered during the ongoing tour of England, limited overs Captain Shahid Afridi is back in action to revive cricket on the pitch. The controversial bookmaking scandal was the last thing any cricketing nation needs, especially Pakistan, as the country is already under a lot of pressure in economic, political and social terms owing to the latest floods which have displaced millions across the country.

Captain Salman Butt along with pacers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir have been accused of spot-fixing, due to their alleged links with Majeed Mazhar, according to a News of the World sting operation. Their cell phones were confiscated as soon as they were caught by the Scotland Yard. Ijaz Butt had earlier stated that no solid evidence had come to light. But after thorough deliberations, their respected board has decided to drop them for the limited-over’s game. However, according to Yawar Saeed, the players will not be suspended.

Afridi is looking forwards to come back to playing cricket rather than making the headlines for all the wrong reasons. High-spirited Pakistani captain is trying to put things in order and the win against Somerset at Taunton by 8 runs is going to help his cause.
Afridi says, "What has happened has gone. We are here to play good cricket. It's a big challenge for me personally; playing in English conditions is always difficult. I and the coach [Waqar Younis] are trying to keep morale high. It's always very difficult in these conditions against a good team but they are all really focused."
Afridi has played 296 ODI’s, scoring over 6,000 runs at an average of 23.93. The all-rounder made his debut in 1996 and is currently nearing 300 wickets at an average of 34.73. Afridi is also known as “Boom Boom Afridi” who holds the record for the fastest ever ODI century in just 37 balls. Shahid has an impressive strike rate of 111.65 runs per 100 balls in ODI cricket and a healthy strike rate of over 85.00 in test cricket.
Shahid Khan Afridi is a specialist in the limited overs version of cricket. He’s an impact player who has the ability to change the entire course of the game within a few overs. As destructive as he is, the young skipper resigned from test cricket earlier in the ongoing English tour as test captain, saying that the longest format did not suit his style of cricket.
Before the controversial match-fixing incidents, Afridi had shown a great deal of concern and interest in the relief work for flood victims in Pakistan. The skipper has donated a lot for the cause to rehabilitate flood victims in the country and believes that the ODI series in England will help in giving some relief to the grief-stricken people of his country.
In all this mess created by the Pakistani cricket team, the entire nation is looking towards Afridi to do something special in this time of need. The master blaster batsman promises an eventful ODI and T20 series against the Englishmen. One can only hope and wait that this son of Pakistan is able to bring joy and happiness to his people.