Pakistan launches covert diplomatic offensive

The Foreign Office hinted at the possibility of a sinister plot against the players.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan mounted a covert diplomatic offensive on Friday over the mistreatment of its cricketing stars as Scotland Yard investigators quizzed Test captain Salman Butt and pacemen Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Amir in connection with spot-fixing charges.

Diplomatic sources in Islamabad and London told The Express Tribune that Pakistan had conveyed its strong reservations to the British government for blowing the issue out of proportion. “The high commissioner in London met the British government officials to record our protest,” a Foreign Office official disclosed while requesting anonymity.

“We have informed the British authorities that this issue is not as simple as it looks like,” the official added.

International Cricket Council chief Haroon Lorgat has reiterated that the cricketers at the centre of the alleged betting scandal could face the prospect of life bans if found guilty. Lorgat was quoted by Sky Television as saying that though he did not want to prejudge the outcome of the investigation, he warned that the ICC would adopt a “zero tolerance” policy against match-fixing.

Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Abdul Basit confirmed that Pakistan was concerned about the handling of the betting-scam.  He said the action of the British authorities gave the impression as “if the players are already convicts.”  “Our position is that they are innocent until proven guilty,” the spokesman said. Basit would not give further details.

However, FO officials are beginning to look at the possibility of a plot against the country’s cricketers and the possible involvement of Indian lobby in the betting-scam.

“The sister of reporter Mazhar Mehmood, who carried out the sting operation, is married to an Indian national. Similarly, the alleged bookmaker Mazhar Majeed is also married to an Indian girl,” a Foreign Office official posted in London said.  “We cannot overlook the Indian aspect in this entire episode,” he added.

However, the official acknowledged that the high commission in London is probably aware that some of the allegations against the players may appear true despite media exaggerations.

The high commissioner in London, Wajid Shamsul Hassan, is engaged in behind-the-scenes efforts with the British government to ensure that the controversy should come to an end at the earliest, the official maintained.

A close aide to President Asif Ali Zardari confirmed the covert diplomatic efforts to seek an end to the spot-fixing scandal. “We have been telling the British authorities that this issue has damaged Pakistan’s image at the time when we are seeking assistance from the international community for flood victims,” the president’s aide told The Express Tribune.

“We are not asking the British government for any cover-up, but we would certainly want the resolution of this controversy in a way that Pakistan’s credibility is not dented further,” he added. But other government sources claim that Islamabad wants Britain to take a lenient position if some Pakistani players are found involved in corruption. The sources indicate that the Scotland Yard’s investigation into the betting scam may remain inconclusive in the wake of hectic behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts.  Britain’s Anti-Corruption Chief already hinted that video and audio evidence may not be enough to prove spot-fixing charges against the Pakistani players.

“I don’t think Scotland Yard will be able to frame any charges against the Pakistani players,” Dr Nauman Niaz, the official historian of Pakistan cricket, told The Express Tribune. He said the matter will be referred to the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Published in The Express Tribune, September 4^th, 2010.