Arif has no relations with Pakistan cricket: Sethi

PCB chairman disowns county cricketer charged with match-fixing.

LAHORE:

Pakistani cricket chiefs Friday publicly disowned Sussex paceman Naveed Arif, who has been suspended by the English board on charges of match-fixing.

The head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said they had ‘no relations’ with Arif, who was charged on Thursday with six offences relating to a 40-over game between Sussex and Kent in August 2011.

Former New Zealand batsman Lou Vincent, who has already admitted fixing in several countries, was charged by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) alongside Arif.

And PCB chief Najam Sethi told reporters, “He is out of Pakistan for the last three years and he has no relations with Pakistan cricket.”

However, Arif featured in two matches in Pakistan’s domestic Twenty20 tournament for Sialkot Stallions in December 2012.

He also toured Australia with Pakistan ‘A’ team in 2009 before moving to England, where he qualified as a non-overseas player for Sussex through his wife’s Danish passport.

Sethi said Pakistan have taken tough measures to crack down on cricket fixers.

“We have taken some stringent steps to stop corruption and have adopted zero tolerance on such things,” he said.

A Pakistani international player, who featured alongside Arif for the Stallions in 2012, said he was amazed to hear he was involved in fixing.

“He [Arif] was a very shy and unassuming guy and had always played the game for passion,” said the player on condition of anonymity.

“Maybe, he was lured into fixing as he failed to make it to the national team in Pakistan and wasn’t a regular member for the county.”

Meanwhile, Vincent on Friday denied striking a plea bargain with match-fixing investigators and said he expected to face more corruption charges on top of the 14 already laid against him.

The New Zealander, in a brief statement issued by his Auckland lawyer, said that the charges stemmed from evidence he had provided authorities.

“[Vincent] confirms the charges arise from matters he has disclosed to the authorities and he remains accountable for his actions of the past,” said the statement.

“The fact of the charges, and more are likely, dispel any notions of a plea bargain having been done as unfortunately appears to be wrongly suggested by others.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 24^th, 2014.

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