Pakistan's interior minister Rehman Malik stirred a hornets’ nest on Monday by warning his country’s cricketers against matchfixing and saying they were under surveillance.
The minister’s comments, that angered the country’s cricket community and took his cabinet colleagues by surprise, came two days ahead of Pakistan’s semi- final face off with India in the cricket World Cup. The Pakistani team at Mohali, which has played some breathtaking cricket in this World Cup, was clearly mystified by the remarks but said the focus would be on the game.
Even though the minister was criticised, his remarks brought back the match-fixing issue to haunt the Pakistan cricket team. Addressing a press conference in Karachi, Malik warned skipper Shahid Afridi and his men — who had a rigorous practice session in Mohali ahead of the crunch match with India — that they were being closely watched in the run up to the semi-final.
“I should not have revealed (this) 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 and added: “It was necessary after what had happened in London.” Pakistan’s Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were involved in spot-fixing in London last year and have been banned by ICC.
Malik said, “We cannot take any chance. I had given a warning (to the players) yesterday that there should be no match fixing. This time I am watching it very closely. If any such thing happens we will take action.”
He did note, “I am sure that our current team members are very clean and I hope that they will not disappoint the nation.” But, for many top cricketing personalities in Pakistan, the damage had been done.
Malik’s public comments on a subject that cuts too close to the bone in Pakistan drew an immediate and angry response from former players and a prominent former cricket administrator. They condemned his remarks for being ill-timed and a dampener for the fans before Wednesday’s high-voltage clash.
Former captain Imran Khan dismissed the minister’s statement as being disappointing for Pakistani fans and Shahid Afridi’s men. “Is he saying that our players are still suspect? Is he suggesting that there might have been contacts by the players with shady betting mafia if the government was not monitoring them?”
Imran asked. “The minister seems to be casting aspersions on the team. Even if Malik knows something he should have kept his mouth shut before this crucial encounter.” He went on to say that he would rather keep a watch on Malik than the cricketers.
“He was an absconder from the law. My worry is not the cricket team, but him.” Imran said it was highly frustrating that a senior member of the government should talk so irresponsibly. “As he himself said he had spoken to the players so why did he feel it necessary to tell the whole world about.”
At the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) stadium in Mohali, Pak paceman Umar Gul hinted the team would not give credence to the minister’s comments and keep the focus on the match with India. “I am not aware of this (Malik’s comments) and got to know now what you (the mediapersons) have told me. We are focusing on our cricket. For the past five-six months we have endured a lot of pressure and scandals. But we have been doing well for some time. There is no pressure on us.
Unity is the key factor in our team right now.”
Shaharyar Khan, an ex-chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said the remarks were unfortunate. “Malik should not have gone public (with his remarks),” he said. “It was totally unnecessary. I can’t imagine any players even remotely contemplating these acts during such a crucial match. We have already three players being hauled up in London (in the wake of the spotfixing controversy),” Khan said.
Zaheer Abbas, a former captain, condemned Malik’s statement. “This is not the right time to raise the issue of match-fixing.
This is not the right time to talk about something that has given Pakistani cricket a bad image worldwide. The minister should have issued a statement to boost the morale of the players and the nation,” he said. “The minister should have thought twice before issuing such a drastic statement even if he knew something important.”
Shoaib Muhammad, the son of Hanif Muhammad, said matchfixing was a sensitive issue. It put even the so-called ‘clean’ players on the defensive. Malik’s statement, he said, would have the same impact on the Pakistani team. “The team can do without distractions and they can especially do without being distracted by something that has had a devastating impact on the credibility of Pakistani cricketers,” he said.
Ex-opener Aamir Sohail had a different take. “There are fears of these things (fixing) but the timing and the way he has come out in the media, it could have been said quietly to the players. There is no point in going on air and talking about it. He could have just sent a message.”
His cabinet colleague, information minister Firdaus Ashiq Awan, said he should clarify as to why he made the statement.
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