Karachi, Sep 27 (IANS) Pakistan’s parliamentarians will begin their own probe into ‘spot-fixing’ allegations against some of the country’s leading cricketers from next week.
Iqbal Muhammad Ali, chairman of the National Assembly’s standing committee on sports, said Monday that his committee will discuss the issue at a meeting which will be called soon after Oct 1.
Ali said that the allegations against three Pakistan cricketers — Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer — are of a serious nature which is why the committee will summon Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt, Pakistan coach Waqar Younis, team manager Yawar Saeed, one-day captain Shahid Afridi and chief selector Mohsin Khan for the meeting.
Butt, Asif and Aamer are under investigation by the Scotland Yard for alleged corruption and face a life ban if found guilty. They have already been suspended by the International Cricket Council.
The trio were accused of ‘spot-fixing’ by a British newspaper following Pakistan’s fourth and final Test against England at Lord’s late last month. Asif and Aamer were accused of bowling deliberate no-balls on the instructions of Salman Butt, Pakistan’s Test captain. The players insist they are innocent.
