F.P. Report
KARACHI: Pakistan’s former underrated pacer Aaqib Javed says that if one follows the match-fixing threads and strings to reach the snake’s head, it will lead him or her to India.
“I am amazed that India is so well established in cricket. Questions were also raised on IPL and yet there is no criminal act yet. I think it is because the den of these match-fixing mafias and the links meet in India,” said Aaqib, who was also part of 1992 World Cup winning squad.
Aaqib criticized the system and said that the cricketers, who blew whistles against these mafias, can climb their career ladder and grow to only a certain extent, hinting towards involvement of officials within the system like cricket boards.
He said that he received death threats as fixers said that they would mutilate his body if he testifies in court.
Aaqib further said that stakes are always high in big events like World Cups and these are like season of earning for the match-fixers and therefore they are very active during these times.
He further said that four to five players are needed to fix a match, which was certainly not a difficult ask if we go back to 1990s.
“The team had great potential then and yet they were seen underperforming in many events back then and later too like Singer Cup,” he added.
He also criticized Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for paving the way for Mohammad Amir’s return to cricket as hero and things like these trivialize match or spot-fixing for other players.
“These things encourages those who have been involved corrupt practices.”
He said that Justice Qayyum Report advised that certain players should not be given important jobs ever in the national team due their alleged involvement in match-fixing and yet Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Mushtaq Ahmed, who was also named in the report, were given important roles.
“Seeing all these, people like Salim Malik questions why are the rules different for me and it’s different for others,” he said.
