Pakistan government investigating assets of cricketers (Roundup)

LONDON/ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan government announced Monday that it will investigate the assets of past and present cricketers in the wake of three players Salman Butt, Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Aamer found allegedly involved in spot-fixing.

In Islamabad, Urdu language newspaper Jang reported that the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) has instructed all its regional officers to collect details of bank accounts, assets and even the number of cars in the possession of players, who have represented Pakistan over the past five years.

This comes after the ICC suspended the trio, who were accused of conspiring with bookmakers to deliberately bowl no-balls during the fourth Test against England at Lord’s. The three have also been questioned by British police.

“We have also asked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to submit its expenses for the players, selectors, coaches and managers,” FBR official, Israr Rauf, was quoted as saying that the Urdu daily.

London daily The Daily Telegraph also reported that Pakistani batsman Yasir Hameed will be interviewed by Britain’s Anti-Corruption Unit as part of its match-fixing investigation. Hameed claimed that the team was “fixing almost every match”.

However, Hameed’s reliability as a witness was questioned Sunday by his own team-mates.

Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi said that Hameed is 30-31 but mentally he is 15-16.

“I don’t know who he was sitting with or in what situation he gave this message but we have know him for a long time. We know we can expect anything from him and he does this kind of thing. People know what type of character he is,” Afridi was quoted as saying by the daily.

ICC’s chief executive Haroon Lorgat said the world body wants to be prompt and decisive on this matter.

“It is not something we want to drag our heels on and as soon as we are in a position to make charges and disclosures we will do so,” he said.

If Hameed is contacted by the ACU he may have to face an independent commissioner who the ICC plans to appoint to head what will be the biggest ever probe into corruption in cricket.

England legend Geoffrey Boycott said the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) should offer Aamer a plea bargain.

“Tell us the truth about what took place and he can get off with a lighter sentence. If he won’t play ball, then make an example of him. I feel for Aamer, because any 18-year-old is likely to get dragged along by his seniors. But I still believe that he deserves a lengthy ban - seven years, perhaps - if he is shown to have bowled no-balls to order. As for the others, they should be treated even more harshly, because they have no excuse,” Boycott wrote in his column in The Daily Telegraph.

“It is no coincidence that Pakistan are repeatedly implicated in these scandals, because they never deal with them properly. People might get suspended or banished from the team, but within a few months the regime changes, and they are back again, as if nothing had happened.

“We saw a typical example with Mohammad Yousuf on this very tour. I am not saying that he was kicked out for match-fixing — we don’t really know — but the to-ing and fro-ing was typical of Pakistan cricket. One minute he’s in disgrace, the next he’s on the field,” he said.