Sport-fixing verdict ruins Pakistan cricket’s image, says former team manager Yawar Saeed

The former Pakistan team manager, Yawar Saeed, has admitted that the Spot-fixing verdict against Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt has exacerbated Pakistan cricket’s image in the world.

Yawar was the manager of the crew during the England tour last year, when the Spot-fixing scam was uncovered by ‘News of the World’. He expressed grief over the ruling by the London court and termed it as one of the sad days for Pakistan cricket.

“It's a sad day for all of us and I'm very sad that this beautiful game of cricket has had to see this day," Saeed told AFP.

At Southwark Crown Court in London, the jury declared Butt and Asif as culprits for accepting black money from the fixer, Mazhar Majeed. Another Pakistani cricketer, Mohammad Amir, has already conceded bowling no-balls deliberately during the Lord’s Test.

The Judge will announce punishment within a few coming days and it is likely that the trio will be sent to jail for some time.

Lamenting over the Spot-fixing case, Yawar said that he tried his best to keep cricketers away from such elements during his stint as the manager of the team. The former manager, who stepped down from his position after the fateful England tour, also revealed that he had warned Butt and Asif but the players kept on committing mistakes.

"I feel very sad because I tried my level best to tell them to keep away from notorious people. They should have understood that and they committed a blunder, and when you commit a blunder, you are punished. I'm also sad because the country's name has been dragged into this entire controversy. Pakistan is known for its talented players but this case has stained the country's image badly," added the former cricketer who played first-class cricket in Pakistan from 1953 to 1959.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has already barred three players and the decision will not make any impact on their ban. The Court has also asked Amir and the agent Majeed to appear before the court and ordered all players not to leave the city before the verdict, expected to be announced within this week.

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BCCI is in the dark about resumption of cricketing ties with Pakistan

BCCI is in the dark about resumption of cricketing ties with Pakistan
In response to the statement given by Pakistan cricket board Chairman Ijaz Butt, the Board of Cricket Control in India has stated that it was in dark about any such agreement.
Talking to the media personnel, N Srinivasan, the secretary of the BCCI said, “I have only read in the newspapers (about resumption of Indo-Pak cricket ties). I don’t know. You people know more than I know.”
The decision aired by the government came as a surprise for the BCCI authorities as the Indian cricket squad already has a full year.
Immediately after the ongoing IPL gala, India will visit the West Indies scheduled to play four Tests and five one-day internationals, followed by a tour of England in July and August.
Afterwards, England is scheduled to visit India for an ODI series in November, followed by the West Indies return tour. India will tour Australia towards the end of the year.
ICC's schedule envisages a Pakistan-India series in early 2012.
According to the sources, the Sri Lankan Cricket Board has also conveyed the PCB that its players were reluctant to visit Pakistan amid the threats of another terror attack. Thus, the proposed Pakistan Premier League along with the subsequent Test series may not materialise.

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