PCB to deal strongly with false allegations of fixing

Pakistan’s poor show in the ICC T20 World Cup where they exited after the first round following back to back defeats against the USA and India, have left the fans and critics furious and disappointed.

The embarrassing performance of the national cricketers have had the former players openly criticising the team while the angry fans have taken to the social media in a big way to lambast Babar Azam and Company for their failure.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) anticipated such a reaction and Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has already indicated at taking tough measures to put things right. However, the recent allegations of match-fixing have added fuel to the fire and have sent the tongue wagging.

Sources revealed that some YouTubers and journalists have recently discussed these allegations, which have also been highlighted by the Indian media. However, according to team sources, there has been no report of any player being involved in any foul-play or negative activities in the USA.

The ICC anti-corruption officials and the security manager accompanying the team kept a close watch on the players and have not reported any untoward incident in this regard. Moreover, it is widely known that the current team members, especially Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shadab Khan, have never been part of any such nefarious activity at any time during their careers.

When contacted, the PCB sources stated, “We are fully aware of these negative comments. Criticism within the bounds of the game is acceptable and there is no objection to it. However, baseless allegations like match-fixing cannot be tolerated under any circumstances.”

When asked if the board would conduct an investigation, the sources said, “ PCB has no doubts that any such thing happened, so why should we conduct an inquiry? Those who made the allegations should provide proof. We have instructed our legal department to issue notices to such individuals and demand evidence. If not provided, we will seek compensation for defamation. A new law in Punjab ensures that a decision will come within six months.”

On the other hand, an unpleasant incident involving Haris Rauf have made the players concerned about their security.