'Report on match-fixing will not affect Pak. team'

By Rizwan Ehsan Ali

ISLAMABAD, MAY 10. Lt. Gen. Tauqir Zia said on Wednesday that Pakistan team, currently playing Test series in the West Indies, will not be affected by the outcome of Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum's report on match- fixing.

The Pakistan Cricket Board chief also promised to make public the report in the next ten days and ``there will be no further delay in publishing the report. I think that the players, who are in the West Indies, will not be affected by the release of the Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum's report,'' Tauqir said.

Tauqir informed that he had discussed the report with the Patron of the PCB, President Rafiq Tarar and Chief Executive Gen. Pervez Musharraf. ``I have read the report not once but twice and now I am busy in making a brief summary which will be sent to the Patron and the government (for the approval to make it public), Zia said. Zia also informed that he met Justice Qayyum on Tuesday night and discussed with him some legal clarifications.

It is a well written report which thoroughly covers all the aspects of the alleged allegations of match-fixing on some cricketers and Justice Qayyum wrote down the report after analysing facts and evidences, he said.

The PCB chief disclosed that he did not have the power to disclose the contents of the report and only the Patron of the Board has the authority to empower him for such a disclosure. He assured that the report would not be changed in any circumstances and whatever Justice Qayyum had recommended would be made public and implemented.

Tauqir hinted that the Qayyum report found one or two cricketers involved in match-fixing but there was no proper evidence in this regard to prove their involvement. ``We want to close the issue of match-fixing forever and after making this report public this issue will be buried, he said. The PCB Chairman said Pakistan's image will improve `immensely' after the report gets public as it will set a unique trend to probe a sporting issue through a judicial commission in a very well organised manner. However, he said that it was not necessary that all the recommendation made by Justice Qayyum in the report would be implemented by the Board.

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Section  : Sport
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