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PCB reacts to Qayyum report; Malik protests ban

The Pakistan Cricket Board today officially released the full text of the Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum commission's report into betting, bribery and match-fixing in Pakistan cricket.

The report was released by PCB chairman Taqir Zia at a news conference.

The PCB, acting in accord with Qayyum's recommendations, has imposed life bans on Salim Malik and Ata-ur-Rehman, while some other players will be fined varying amounts.

Salim Malik, a former Pakistan captain who has not played for his national side since the 1999 World Cup in England, claimed that he was being made a scapegoat, and indicated that he would consult his lawyers before mounting a legal challenge against the ban.

``Why me alone when others were let off with minor fines?'' Malik demanded. "I have been cleared by two inquiries before this, but this time I alone have been targeted."

Which, actually, is not quite true. Ata-ur-Rehman, for the relatively minor crime of changing his testimony, finds himself in the same boat, banned for life from all forms of representative cricket.

Malik has been fined 10 lakh rupees in addition to the ban, while Ata-Ur-Rehman has been fined Rs 1 lakh.

Others facing fines are former captain Wasim Akram (Rs 3 lakh), leg spinner Mushtaq Ahmed (Rs 3 lakh), Waqar Younis, Akram Raza, Saeed Anwar and Inzamam ul Haq (Rs 1 lakh apiece).

Pakistan's military ruler General Pervez Musharraf and President Mohammad Rafiq Tarar strongly favoured the implementation of the Quayyum Commission's recommendations, Zia told the media.

``The commission's finding is that there was no planned betting and match-fixing by the team as a whole,'' Zia pointed out in his press briefing. ``Thus on the whole, the team is cleared of blame and as a whole the players of the Pakistan cricket team declared innocent.

``However, doubts of varying intensity have been cast on the integrity of some members of the team in their individual capacity,'' Zia conceded.

The commission in its report came down most heavily on Malik and Wasim Akram.

On Malik, the commission besides imposing the ban and the heaviest fine handed out to any player thus far, added, "He should not be allowed to even associate himself with any cricketing affairs as he may be able to influence the new generation.''

On Wasim Akram, the commission pointed out that it was only Ata-ur-Rehman's constant change in testimony that absolved the pace ace. ``All is not well here and Akram is not above board," the report says. "He has not cooperated with the commission.

``It is only by giving Wasim Akram the benefit of the doubt after Ata-ur-Rehman changed his testimony in suspicious circumstances that he has not been found guilty of match fixing. He cannot be said to be above suspicion. It is, therefore, recommended that he be censured and be kept under strict vigilance.''

Interestingly, the commission imposed fines on Waqar Younis, Inzamam ul Haq, Akram Raza and Saeed Anwar for not co-operating fully with the commission, and for withholding evidence required of them.

The Betting Scandal: The full story