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Pakistani senators Saturday lashed out at authorities for not taking action against players involved in match-fixing, saying the cricket board should be disbanded to save the sport.
“The present management has failed to take any action against players involved in match-fixing and they must be removed to save Pakistan cricket,” Senator Haroon Akhtar told reporters at the national cricket academy.
MPs from the lower house of parliament have summoned Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt, former captain Younus Khan, former coach Intikhab Alam and former manager Abdul Raqeeb to discuss match-fixing on Monday.
Their parliamentary committee is also planning to appoint a panel of judges to investigate the latest match-fixing allegations.
Video footage of a PCB inquiry committee meeting, which was leaked to media, showed players and former officials raising suspicions about match-fixing during the Australia tour.
Pakistan lost all three Tests, five one-day and a Twenty20 match in Australia from December to February, but their defeat in January’s Sydney Test has raised doubts about match-fixing.
Australia won by 36 runs despite conceding a 206-run first-innings deficit as Pakistan failed to chase a modest 176-run target.
Wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal, who dropped three catches off century-maker Michael Hussey and an easy run out of Shane Watson, came under serious doubts from Alam and his Australia tour deputy Aqib Javed.
The out-going chairman of International Cricket Council’s Anti-Corruption Unit, Lord Condon, on Thursday said Pakistan’s Sydney Test defeat is still being investigated by the ICC, a claim denied by Butt.
Akhtar said Butt should be removed to save Pakistan cricket.
“Butt is running the PCB as a one-man show and we appeal on President Asif (Ali) Zardari to remove him to save Pakistan cricket otherwise it will be destroyed by this management,” said Akhtar.
Butt, who took over in October 2008, has survived previous calls from senators and MPs for his dismissal as he has enjoyed the confidence of Zardari.
Senator Tariq Azeem said PCB should throw out match-fixers.
“We should not leave the matter to the ICC or anyone else. We should throw the tainted players ourselves,” said Azeem.
Butt said on Friday that no evidence of match-fixing had been found by the PCB.
“The ICC has all the right to investigate any series or any match, but as far as the Australia tour is concerned the ICC has already said there was no evidence,” Butt told AFP.
Pakistan has suffered fixing allegations in the past. A judicial inquiry between 1998-2000 banned former captain Salim Malik and paceman Ataur Rehman, and fined six others, including current coach Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram.
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