Arthur replies to PCB’s legal notice, denies making any match-fixing claims against Pak

LAHORE - Former South Africa cricket coach Mickey Arthur, replying to the Pakistan Cricket Board’s legal notice, has denied making any match-fixing accusations against the Pakistan side.

Last Monday, the PCB had sent a notice to Arthur, asking him to “unconditionally and publicly retract” his statements, which suggested that the final ODI between Pakistan and South Africa in the 2007-08 series had “a strong suspicion of match-fixing” around it, the Daily Times reported.

The board had also asked him for an “unqualified and unconditional apology,” and a proposal for paying them a “substantial sum” in damages.

Arthur’s comments, the board concluded, had been made to boost sales of his forthcoming autobiography, which is apparently set to include similar claims.

The board specifically asked for a written undertaking that Arthur’s autobiography will not contain similar statements against the side.

“Arthur has requested us to read his book,” a PCB official said on Monday. “We will decide further legal action after examining his book.”

Last month, Arthur had told South African website News24, “The South African cricket team had a strong suspicion that that there was match-fixing involved in a decisive One-day International against Pakistan three years ago and it took some of the gloss off the series win.”

Following his remarks, the Pakistan Cricket Board had served a three-page legal notice on Arthur through its lawyer Tafazzul Rizvi for his defamatory allegations against the Pakistan cricket team in his upcoming biography.

However, the former coach had sought to clarify the matter last Monday, saying, “There is absolutely no foundation to this story whatsoever. Quite simply, my comments were taken completely out of context and I have never accused anybody of anything illegal.” (ANI)