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Eight Pak cricketers indicted for corruption

A top Pakistani cricket official has indicated that Wasim Akram, captain of the national team, and two other players would not be selected pending the completion of a probe into allegations of match fixing.

Mujeebur Rehman, chairman of the adhoc committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board, told the media that the bar on selection would apply to Akram, Ijaz Ahmed and Salim Malik. ''They will not be considered for selection in the coming season,'' he said.

Rehman added: ''Until the investigations as to whether they are really involved in corruption or not is completed, they will not be available for selection.''

His statement followed the publication yesterday of a year-old PCB investigation into allegations of match-fixing and betting against the trio. All three deny the allegations.

A government-appointed judicial commission has been investigating the allegations since September last year. No date has been set for the release of that much-delayed report.

Pakistan are scheduled to play in a triangular series in Sharjah in October before flying to Australia for three Tests and a triangular one-day series involving India and Australia.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan government's anti-corruption team disclosed details of a report on the alleged involvement of cricket captain Akram and other players in match fixing.

The allegations by the Ehtesab (accountability) Bureau were based on a confidential report drawn up for the PCB almost one year ago.

Akram, currently commentating for Britain's Channel 4 on the England v New Zealand Test series, could not be contacted for comment.

''Under the first count, he was charged with conspiring to fix the one-day international against NZ Christchurch on March 16, 1994.

''The second charge against (Wasim) Akram is that he purposely lost the Sahara Cup match against India in Toronto (Canada) on September 17, 1996.''

The report for the PCB followed claims of foul play over a six-year period and also named vice-captain Moin Khan, Salim Malik, Ijaz Ahmad, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mushtaq Ahmad, Waqar Younis and Saqlain Mushtaq. The EB said yesterday that all eight should be investigated.

Akram, Malik and Ijaz were named as prime suspects last September in an interim report which recommended that the three players should not be selected until the investigations were completed.

But no action was taken by the PCB executive council which, eight days ago, was suspended by Pakistan president Rafiq Tarar amid fresh controversy surrounding allegations that the side ''threw'' the World Cup final against Australia in June.

EB investigations showed that players tried to influence the PCB not to take any action against them.

''The EB investigators say that from the information available from the PCB, the players influenced the executive council and (asked) that before the terminal action was taken, the board should await the final report of the probe committee, thus intentionally delaying matters for the benefit of the players,'' a media story says.

The allegations against Akram were made on the basis of the interim report of the probe committee which relied on the evidence provided by former captains Aamir Sohail and Rashid Latif and discarded Test fast bowler Ata-ur-Rahman.

''Akram associated with Ata-ur-Rahman and induced him to play badly in the match (against NZ),'' said the report in news agency APP, adding: ''Wasim Akram disclosed to Ata-ur-Rahman that the match was fixed and the other players conspiring with Akram were Ijaz Ahmad and Salim Malik.

''For the purpose, Akram proposed to pay Ata-ur-Rahman a sum ranging from Rs 300,000-400,000," the report said.

Pakistan lost the match by seven wickets.

On the second allegation, APP's report quoted the EB said Akram purposely lost to India in a 1996 Sahara Cup match.

''Wasim Akram left the field when Rahul Dravid and (Mohammad) Azharuddin were scoring freely. Vice-captain Aamir Sohail took over and captured two wickets by readjusting field placing.

''On returning to the field, Akram angrily demanded why Aamir Sohail had made changes in the field placing,'' APP, quoting the EB report, said.