Spot-fixing controversy

Pakistan agent claims four other players worked with him

Osman Samiuddin

November 30, 2010

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	Kamran and Umar Akmal are two of the four players Mazhar Majeed has named © Getty Images Enlarge
Related Links News : ICC asks suspended trio's lawyers to return evidence   News : ICC clears Kamran Akmal for selection   News : 'ICC sent Butt, Akmal notices after World Twenty20'   In Focus: Match-fixing Players/Officials: Imran Farhat | Kamran Akmal | Umar Akmal |Wahab Riaz Teams: Pakistan

A Pakistani TV channel has broadcast previously unseen video footage of Mazhar Majeed, the player agent allegedly at the centre of the spot-fixing scandal, in which he takes the names of four more Pakistani players who, he claims, work with him.

The video footage, obtained and shown by the Geonews channel, is part of the hidden camera recordings that formed the original News of the Worldsting operation in August. In those, an undercover reporter pretending to be a member of a betting syndicate was seen meeting with Majeed a number of times to allegedly orchestrate spot-fixing scams involving members of the Pakistan team.

At the time the tabloid revealed the names of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir and claimed that there were four others involved but didn't name them. Butt, Asif and Amir were provisionally suspended by the ICC; the tabloid claimed to have exposed their plan, with Majeed, to bowl deliberate, pre-arranged no-balls during the fourth Test between Pakistan and England at Lord's.

The footage, well-placed sources confirmed to ESPNcricinfo, was shown as an exhibit in the ICC's provisional suspension hearings of Butt and Amir, held in October in Dubai, and was part of the evidence submitted by ICC against the three.

The freshly aired footage takes place in Majeed's house, where he is talking to a reporter with a hidden camera who asks him about the players who work with him: "What's the latest situation?" Majeed replies: "I'll tell you who we've got then. We've got Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif, Salman Butt, Wahab Riaz ... that's six, yeah? Imran Farhat ... that's seven out of 11 players."

Majeed goes on to explain how certain players are good for certain acts and how he targets younger players in particular. "It's long-term thinking. These boys are going to be around years and I've got the best boys." Senior players such as Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq and Saeed Ajmal, he says, do not interest him because they only have a few years left. Ajmal, he says, is "too religious."

Of the four players named in the claims aired on Tuesday, Umar and Riaz continue to very much be a part of the Pakistan side; both were selected today in Pakistan's Twenty20 and Test squads for a tour to New Zealand. Riaz was questioned by Scotland Yard during the England tour, though he was released without any charge laid on him.

The eldest Akmal, Kamran, has been frozen out, however, and has not been picked since the England tour. He was the subject of a notice sent by the ACSU after the World Twenty20 in May, but was recently told by the ICC that he is cleared to play for Pakistan.

According to the PCB's chief selector Mohsin Khan, Kamran wasn't picked for the New Zealand series because the PCB didn't clear him. Though his Test form has been poor, he would generally be considered an essential part of the limited-overs side given the balance his hard-hitting batting brings.

Farhat was part of Pakistan's squad in the series against South Africa but has also been dropped. His axing is likelier to be the result of poor performances, however, and the relative success of a new opening pair in Taufeeq Umar and Mohammad Hafeez.

 

The emergence of this footage is likely to increase concerns in the ICC - which has not commented publicly on any of the other four players - about the legal representation the suspended trio is getting. Earlier this month, the same channel broadcast text messages allegedly exchanged between Butt and Majeed. That led to the ICC asking the players' lawyers to return the evidence given to them during the hearings, unhappy that it was being leaked to the media.

Observers familiar with and, in some instances, involved in the case have repeatedly expressed concerns over the attitude of some of the lawyers and how it might affect the workings of the final hearings into the case, due to be held in January in Doha, Qatar. Sources who witnessed the provisional suspension hearings claim that the players' lawyers signed a document agreeing not to discuss the hearing and the case publicly, something that has not happened.

Mixed just right

Interactions between international stars and domestic players have been the most encouraging aspect of the IPL

May 5, 2008

	'Keeping to Lee has been fantastic because he is accurate at great speed, and you can stand well behind' © Getty Images

Pakistan agent claims four other players worked with him Osman Samiuddin November 30, 2010 Text size: A | A Kamran and Umar Akmal are two of the four players Mazhar Majeed has named © Getty Images Enlarge Related Links News : ICC asks suspended trio's lawyers to return evidence News : ICC clears Kamran Akmal for selection News : 'ICC sent Butt, Akmal notices after World Twenty20' In Focus: Match-fixing Players/Officials: Imran Farhat | Kamran Akmal | Umar Akmal | Wahab Riaz Teams: Pakistan A Pakistani TV channel has broadcast previously unseen video footage of Mazhar Majeed, the player agent allegedly at the centre of the spot-fixing scandal, in which he takes the names of four more Pakistani players who, he claims, work with him. The video footage, obtained and shown by the Geo news channel, is part of the hidden camera recordings that formed the original News of the World sting operation in August. In those, an undercover reporter pretending to be a member of a betting syndicate was seen meeting with Majeed a number of times to allegedly orchestrate spot-fixing scams involving members of the Pakistan team. At the time the tabloid revealed the names of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir and claimed that there were four others involved but didn't name them. Butt, Asif and Amir were provisionally suspended by the ICC; the tabloid claimed to have exposed their plan, with Majeed, to bowl deliberate, pre-arranged no-balls during the fourth Test between Pakistan and England at Lord's. The footage, well-placed sources confirmed to ESPNcricinfo, was shown as an exhibit in the ICC's provisional suspension hearings of Butt and Amir, held in October in Dubai, and was part of the evidence submitted by ICC against the three. The freshly aired footage takes place in Majeed's house, where he is talking to a reporter with a hidden camera who asks him about the players who work with him: "What's the latest situation?" Majeed replies: "I'll tell you who we've got then. We've got Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif, Salman Butt, Wahab Riaz ... that's six, yeah? Imran Farhat ... that's seven out of 11 players." Majeed goes on to explain how certain players are good for certain acts and how he targets younger players in particular. "It's long-term thinking. These boys are going to be around years and I've got the best boys." Senior players such as Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq and Saeed Ajmal, he says, do not interest him because they only have a few years left. Ajmal, he says, is "too religious." Of the four players named in the claims aired on Tuesday, Umar and Riaz continue to very much be a part of the Pakistan side; both were selected today in Pakistan's Twenty20 and Test squads for a tour to New Zealand. Riaz was questioned by Scotland Yard during the England tour, though he was released without any charge laid on him. The eldest Akmal, Kamran, has been frozen out, however, and has not been picked since the England tour. He was the subject of a notice sent by the ACSU after the World Twenty20 in May, but was recently told by the ICC that he is cleared to play for Pakistan. According to the PCB's chief selector Mohsin Khan, Kamran wasn't picked for the New Zealand series because the PCB didn't clear him. Though his Test form has been poor, he would generally be considered an essential part of the limited-overs side given the balance his hard-hitting batting brings. Farhat was part of Pakistan's squad in the series against South Africa but has also been dropped. His axing is likelier to be the result of poor performances, however, and the relative success of a new opening pair in Taufeeq Umar and Mohammad Hafeez. The emergence of this footage is likely to increase concerns in the ICC - which has not commented publicly on any of the other four players - about the legal representation the suspended trio is getting. Earlier this month, the same channel broadcast text messages allegedly exchanged between Butt and Majeed. That led to the ICC asking the players' lawyers to return the evidence given to them during the hearings, unhappy that it was being leaked to the media. Observers familiar with and, in some instances, involved in the case have repeatedly expressed concerns over the attitude of some of the lawyers and how it might affect the workings of the final hearings into the case, due to be held in January in Doha, Qatar. Sources who witnessed the provisional suspension hearings claim that the players' lawyers signed a document agreeing not to discuss the hearing and the case publicly, something that has not happened. The IPL has been a completely new experience, full of new challenges, for most players involved, both for the seasoned internationals and the Indian domestic players. The most encouraging aspect of this tournament has been the interaction between the two categories of players.

We have now seen a lot of good cricketers who wouldn't have otherwise been seen. We have India Under-19 players, or Ranji players, who are coming out and winning matches for their sides.

The best part is that everyone is learning from each other. The international stars are learning from domestic players about local playing conditions, the local bowlers, and how the grounds behave. And for the young Indian players it is a perfect opportunity to gel with seasoned international players and have a taste of the pressures that come at this level. They can talk to the international players and find out what strengths they possess, and how they can develop their game further.

These interactions stand everyone in good stead. The young guys have opinions that are valuable to the sides. More so, as outsiders, their perspective of international cricket as a game is refreshing. Sometimes they come up with ideas that are from the left field, but are relevant to what's happening out in the middle. They come up with important suggestions for field settings to different batsmen, bowling tactics and so on.

When it comes to Kings XI Punjab, the team we have is full of youngsters who are extremely nice, and eager to have a chat about cricket and life in general. The likes of Karan Goel, Tanmay Srivastava and Piyush Chawla are promising young players. I haven't seen enough of some of the other boys, like Sunny Sohal, but there is more to these players than just ability: they have maturity that you usually don't see in such young players from other countries. Many are just out of their U-19 sides, but they possess a maturity that will allow India to put them into the national side very early, and when that happens they will be able to take tough situations in their stride. You saw that in the CB Series in Australia, where the young Indian players showed a lot of maturity when it came to playing at international level.

The IPL has also brought along personal challenges for every player. For me, for example, keeping wicket to bowlers I haven't kept to before has been good. Keeping to spinners like Chawla has been especially challenging. He is a good bowler and has a lot of guile and skill. It is hard enough to read his variations, plus you need to learn how to react to the different pitches we play on, and to make it even harder, the batsmen are always on the attack, always moving around in the crease and trying to get runs, which can get very distracting for a wicketkeeper. In such circumstances the basics become all the more important: watching the bowler's hand, watching the ball off the pitch into your gloves, and forgetting what the batsman is doing.

With fast bowlers it's slightly easier because you are standing back, and you get time to react and move around. It is still important to know which way the ball is swinging and what the bowlers are trying to do, of course. It becomes difficult when they start bowling slower balls.

One of the best experiences for me as a keeper has been to watch Brett Lee run in and bowl. Just the fact that I can stand well back makes it easier for me, gives me a lot of time to watch the ball and move and get into a position to collect it. He bowls at 150-plus and still has the accuracy and the skill to bowl as many balls as he wants to in the areas he wants to - which is something you usually associate with the slower bowlers.

'The likes of Karan Goel are promising talents, and have a refreshing perspective on the game' © Cricinfo Ltd

When it comes to batting, it has been much the same, only with minor adjustments. Even in this format, pacing an innings is important. It's not about going hell for leather through all the 20 overs. It's a case of accepting what you can do as a batsman, and trying to work the bowling and the bowler accordingly to get maximum benefits.

The pleasing aspect has been that most of the big scoring in this tournament has been done with conventional shots rather than innovations. Once in a while an innovation stands out, other than that it has been conventional cricket shots - keeping your shape, and making sure the whole body and weight is behind the ball.

I haven't approached the games too differently in terms of preparation. I have made slight changes, such as using a few more innovations and extensions, fine-tuning the lofted drives, and in terms of identifying my hitting areas. In any case, the shots you play in the middle are mostly instinctive: you try and plan exactly what areas are your strength, and you wait for suitable deliveries to come along. All the other deliveries you try to work for a single.

When the ball falls in your area, the shot is usually instinctive. Cricket, especially batting, is a reactive skill. All the thinking, being proactive, the fine-tuning is done in training. Out in the middle, if you purely react to what is bowled at you, you ensure there is no slowing down of your motor skills due to too much thinking. The more instinctive you are, the better it is for you, most times.

We have been traveling around India all these days but we haven't been able to see much of the cities. As a team, though, we have been bonding. We have had sessions over a meal or a drink after games. It has been fun, especially with Lee on the guitar. These things are crucial. They help you get closer to each other, and also enjoy the competition a lot more. We've been able to be ourselves and focus on the cricket and express ourselves on the field.

The ban and its aftermath

Shoaib cleared to play in IPL

 

May 4, 2008

	Shoaib Akhtar arrives to face the tribunal at the Pakistan Cricket Academy © PA Photos

Shoaib Akhtar has been cleared to play in the IPL after the Appellate Tribunal decided to suspend his five-year ban for one month, until they reconvene on June 4. The PCB has, in turn, granted Shoaib a No Objection Certificate to feature in the IPL, where he will play for the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Lalit Modi, the chairman and commissioner of the IPL, confirmed that Shoaib will play the tournament. "We look forward to Shoaib playing for us," Modi said. "I am going to call him immediately and invite him to come to Kolkata tonight or tomorrow morning."

Farrukh Aftab, the head of the three-man tribunal, announced the decision. "We have suspended the ban for one month and the next hearing will be held on June 4," Aftab told reporters in Lahore. "Had we not suspended the ban, he could not have been played the in IPL, which we thought was injustice to Akhtar."

Meanwhile, Shoaib expressed relief after his clearance. "This is a great relief for me as I am keen to play in the IPL," Shoaib said. "But this is just one battle won and we still have to win the final case."

The tribunal's decision to grant Shoaib a temporary reprieve comes after his lawyers pressed for the suspension of his ban.

Earlier, the tribunal, on April 30, had decided to uphold the PCB's ban on an interim-basis. Shoaib was banned for comments he made after not being offered a contract by the PCB, in which he lashed out at domestic tournaments, pitches and the administration in general. He made the comments while on a two-year probation after hitting team-mate Mohammad Asif with a bat before the World Twenty20 last year. Shoaib has the additional burden of dealing with a Rs 22 crore (approx US$3.37 million) defamation suit filed against him by PCB chief Nasim Ashraf.

The Knight Riders franchise, which signed him for US$425,000 in the player auctions, would welcome his arrival and hope for a turnaround in their fortunes. The team has suffered four consecutive losses after winning their first two games. Shoaib returns to one of his memorable hunting grounds, the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, where the team has five remaining home games. His was a revelation in his first Test at the venue, picking up eight wickets in a match-winning effort.

Cricket News

Indian Premier League

IPL yet to decide on Shoaib ban

	The PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf has requested the IPL to let Shoaib Akhtar play in the tournament © AFP

The Indian Premier League is yet to finalise its position on barring Shoaib Akhtar, the banned Pakistan fast bowler, from playing in the inaugural season of the tournament.

The IPL is waiting for the Pakistan Cricket Board to forward the court papers that upheld Shoaib's five-year ban on Wednesday, and is also considering a personal request from PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf, to let Shoaib play in the Twenty20 event, IS Bindra, a member of the IPL governing council, told Cricinfo.

"We are yet to finalise our position because we will first have to examine what the court papers relating to the ban says," Bindra said. "We can arrive at a decision only after that. There is no time-limit to this as the PCB has to obtain these papers first, and then forward them to IPL."

Bindra also said the IPL was seriously "considering a personal request" from Ashraf to let Shoaib play so that he could "earn his livelihood".

Shoaib was signed up by Kolkata Knight Riders for US$ 425,000 but was barred from appearing in the tournament by the IPL council "in the interests of international discipline" after the PCB banned him on disciplinary grounds last month.

On Wednesday, a three-member appellate tribunal headed by retired judge Aftab Farrukh, which was set up to hear Shoaib's appeal against the PCB's decision, upheld the ban. Minutes after the tribunal announced its decision, an IPL spokesperson had told Cricinfo that their position on barring the player from the tournament remained the same, but Bindra suggested on Thursday that Ashraf's request has prompted a rethink.

A Kolkata spokesperson said that the franchise would abide by whatever decision the IPL council took on the issue but would "obviously be pleased" if Shoaib was cleared to play