Pakistan warns team against WCup fixing
Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik has warned the country's
cricket team against match fixing and said they were under surveillance
for Wednesday's highly charged World Cup semi-final against India.
Pakistan cricket has been rocked by match fixing allegations, with
three top players handed lengthy bans by an International Cricket
Council anti-corruption tribunal.
"I had given a warning yesterday (Sunday) that there should be no
match fixing. This time I am watching it very closely. If any such thing
happens we will take action," Malik told reporters in Karachi Monday.
The high-profile encounter between the South Asian rivals will be
played in Mohali, India, amid tight security.
Overshadowed
The clash which has overshadowed the World Cup final will be watched
by Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on an invitation from
his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh.
It will be the first game between the two teams on Indian soil since
the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that left 166 people dead and stalled a
fragile four-year peace process between the nuclear-armed South Asian
rivals.
Malik said the team was being monitored closely.
"I should not have revealed but we have put them under strict
surveillance, like who are the people meeting our players, with whom
they are talking by telephone," he said.
"It was necessary after what had happened in London. We cannot take
any chance," he said and described the current members as clean.
Very clean
"I am sure that our current team members are very clean and I hope
that they will not disappoint the nation."
Pakistan cricket has been hit by match fixing allegations which saw
players Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif banned on charges
related to fixing during last year's Lord's Test against England.
Malik advised the players to concentrate on the game.
"They should continue the practice and go to bed early, rise up
according to their schedule and dedicate themselves to the game for
Pakistan."
Malik welcomed reassurances from his Indian counterpart P.
Chidambaram on providing full security for the Pakistani players.
KARACHI, Tuesday (AFP)
|