CONTROVERSIAL Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal has hit out at claims he was involved in rigging the infamous Sydney Test last year, saying he has never accepted a cent to throw matches.
Akmal spoke of his devastation at rumours he deliberately underperformed as part of a match-fixing scam against Australia that allegedly netted Pakistan players $3 million.
Akmal, a key member of Pakistan's World Cup squad, has been one of the most scrutinised figures in world cricket. The ICC and Scotland Yard detectives last year launched separate probes into the gloveman, who was also accused of being among the architects of the spot-fixing scandal that rocked the sport during Pakistan's tour of England last July.
The 29-year-old was subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing but Akmal says he was shattered by innuendo which painted him as a corrupt, money-grubbing match fixer..
"I have never been asked by anyone to do this [match fixing]. I can't believe what people would say. Nobody has ever talked to me like that.
"All I care about is playing cricket. I play for Pakistan, I don't do any other activities that would damage my country or my name."
To help prove his innocence, Akmal declared to cricket authorities four properties he owns in Pakistan that he says were accrued via legitimate income.
The dark cloud of suspicion has hovered over Akmal since January 2010. In a horrific performance at the SCG, the Pakistan keeper dropped Michael Hussey three times and botched a simple run out as Australian produced a miracle comeback to win the second Test by 36 runs.
Such was the scrutiny, a leaked report from the Pakistan Cricket Board revealed team officials privately feared Akmal performed poorly in Sydney for financial gain.
Player agent Mazhar Majeed, the manager caught out in a British tabloid sting last year, intimated the Pakistan team made around $3 million from the Sydney Test debacle. His claims were supported by opener Yasir Hameed, who reportedly confirmed the SCG Test was rigged.
But Akmal insists he has never been approached by match fixers and says he was so concerned about his glovework he sought advice from former Australian keeper Ian Healy in the lead-up to the Sydney Test.
Akmal's dismal performance saw him axed for the next Test in Hobart, where Healy had promised to meet to work on some technical issues.
"I didn't drop catches to help Australia," Akmal says.
"These things happen. Not every day is a good day in cricket, sometimes you have good days and other days you have bad games, but I have tried very hard in every game I play for Pakistan.
"I have ignored all this, I play for honesty, I play to win for my country."
