KARACHI. Aug 7 (Internet report): The future ol Pak-istan cricket could be bright provided the most
influential decision-makers in this game recently work in the positive frame of mind, believes a former chief executive of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Positive results could be expected if Ehtesab (Accountability) Bureau or the PCB's ad hoc committee works with constructive intentions, said Arif Ali Khan Abbasi here on Friday.
"It should be the intentions of Ehtesab Bureau or the PCB’s ad hoc committee which should be considered. If they really want to work for the betterment of the game and to clean the sport of any mess, they should carry on." Abbasi said in an interview with The News of Pakistan.
He felt as there are no less than four committees probing into the betting and match-fixing charges against Pakistani cricketers, it was the previous PCB management which dragged the players into the mess deliberately to save its skin.
Criticising the former CE of the Board. Majid Khan, Abbasi termed the predicament which the players were facing as the outcome of the plan by Majid Khan who did it to divert the attention from his own incompetence.
"The kind of turbulent pe-•riod players are going through is the ramification of his (Majid's) sheer Incompetence which could be gauged from his blemished track record as a PTV and PIA'official. He intentionally added fuel to fire to hide his own misdeeds," he said.
According to Abbasi, the simmering match-fixing and betting issue should have been
buried once and for all in 1994-.95 after the commission of Justice (Retd) Fakhruddin G Ebra-heem not only exonerated Salim Malik of all charges levelled against him by three Australians -- Mark Waugh. Shane Warne and Tim May.
The Fakhruddin Ebraheem commission had found the Aussies guilty of concoction and there statements were contradictory. The International Cricket Council (ICC) had also accepted and praised the re-Eart." he said. The Aussie trio ad accused former Pakistan captain Malik of offering bribe to throw a match in 1994-95. The matter. Abbasi said, should have ended then and there but the previous PCB management ignited the extinguished issue once again.
He thought people at the helm of cricket affairs could and should have brought the strayed players, if there were any, to the right path instead of targeting them by opening enquiries against them. Abbasi, who had also deposed before the one man commission of Justice Malik Muhammad Qayyum in Lahore, predicted the result of findings which according to him were expected by August 18,
will be in favour of charged players including three suspended players — skipper Wasim Akram, Malik and Ijaz Ahmed.
Asked as to why same players who according to reports could be seen involve in betting while playing for clubs could not gamble at international level, he replied. "They may gamble but fixing the matches is another matter for which involvement of all eleven players is required."
Meanwhile, another report says ad hoc committee has inducted celebrated Test cricketer Hanif Muhammad and Hafiz Manzoor Husain members on Friday.
A PCB press release said that the ad hoc committee chairman Mujeebur Rahman took the decision in pursuance of Government of Pakistan notification of dated July 17,1999.
Critics however claimed that the credibility of the committee suffered a heavy dent as it inducted the sacked treasurer of the previous cricket regime. Hafiz Manzoor Hussain, as its member. Hafiz was the treasure of the last PCB set-up. which was suspended by the President Rafique Tarar.