Spot-fixing case: Pak players went out of way to entertain bookie Mazhar, reveals Najam

ISLAMABAD - Khawaja Javed Najam, former security manager of the Pakistan cricket team, has revealed the details of how suspended Test captain Salman Butt and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal violated the team regulations to entertain bookmaker Mazhar Majeed in their hotel room during the England tour in August 2010.

On the fourth day of the spot-fixing case hearing by the International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption tribunal in Doha, Najam said in his statement that some of the players went out of their way to maintain links with the Majeed brothers- Mazhar and Azhar, the Daily Times reports.

He also revealed that he had caught Butt and Kamran holding a meeting with Azhar in the room of Wahab Riaz, who was also questioned by Scotland Yard following the spot-fixing scandal implicating key Pakistan players- Butt, Mohammad Aamir and Mohammad Asif.

Testifying before the ICC tribunal, Najam said he had suspected the constant presence of the Majeed brothers with the Pakistan team on different tours, adding that despite repeated warnings, some of the players refused to distance themselves from the duo.

“The Majeed brothers were seen during the World T20 in the West Indies and the players were told to stay away from them,” he said.

Najam said that after being “spotted in London, the brothers were told to leave the hotel room in 30 seconds.”

“When I saw Azhar in Riaz’s room in London, I asked the fast bowler to bring him out. Kamran and Salman were also sitting with them. When Azhar came out, one of the national team selectors also accompanied him and said he wanted match tickets from Riaz.”

Najam said that the selector saw Azhar out of the hotel while Salman and Kamran apologised for the breach.

The former security manager also said that he was present when the police raided Salman’s room and found valuables worth 5.9 million rupees. While some were said to be given to him by his agent, Salman said that the rest of the stuff- including two expensive watches- was part of his sister’s dowry.

“His body language was very tense and he was speaking very loudly, when he was being questioned,” recalled Najam.

On 2 September 2010, the ICC had charged the trio with various offences under Article 2 of the ‘ICC Anti-Corruption Code for Players and Player Support Personnel’ relating to “alleged irregular behaviour during, and in relation to, the fourth Test between England and Pakistan at Lord’s.” (ANI)