Suspend Pakistan over fixing claims: Speed

SYDNEY: Former ICC boss Malcolm Speed said there was a compelling case to suspend Pakistan from cricket after explosive match-rigging allegations hit the national team.

Speed, who was chief executive of the International Cricket Council from 2001 until 2008, said suspension was a “serious” option for Pakistan.

“It looks as though it is endemic that several of the team members are involved and have been for some time,” said Speed. “So perhaps they need a rest. It looks a fairly compelling case.”

British police are investigating after the News of the World revealed claims of “spot-fixing” by Pakistani players in the just-completed fourth Test against England at Lord’s.

Speed, who remains involved with the game, said cricket was still bedevilled by corruption.

“Corrupt bookmakers and gamblers are still out there,” he said. “[It’s] great that they’ve been caught in England where there’s a very sophisticated legal system that deals with conspiracy and specifically with cheating in sport. So I see that as a major positive. I would have liked it to have happened when I was involved with ICC but it didn’t happen at that time.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 31^st, 2010.