Mushtaq gets Flower’s support
England coach Andy Flower defends Mushtaq Ahmed as spin-bowling coach despite a match-fixing inquiry 10 years ago.
LONDON:
England coach Andy Flower defended the suitability of Mushtaq Ahmed as the team’s spin-bowling coach despite the former Pakistan player being named in a match-fixing inquiry ten years ago.
Flower, whose comments came in the light of the “spot-fixing” crisis which saw three members of the Pakistan team questioned by the British police, said he was satisfied with the spin bowling coach’s role within the team.
Mushtaq was named in a report into match-fixing by Justice Qayyum in 2000 because of the 40-year-old’s association with gamblers and illegal bookmakers. The Qayyum inquiry fined Mushtaq and five others including Inzamamul Haq, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Saeed Anwar and Akram Raza, and placed life-bans on former captain Salim Malik and Ataur Rehman.
The International Cricket Council said it would not have employed Mushtaq but Flower stated, “I’m very comfortable with Mushtaq. He’s been brilliant for us as a team. He’s been a good coach, a good example to our players and support staff. I’m looking forward to him working with us again when he joins us in Australia.
“I chatted with Mushy on the phone a couple of days ago. He’s a cricket coach - that’s what he is -and we’re very comfortable working with him. He’s a lovely man, and a good man for our system.”
The former spinner has been working with England since 2008.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 5th, 2010.
England coach Andy Flower defended the suitability of Mushtaq Ahmed as the team’s spin-bowling coach despite the former Pakistan player being named in a match-fixing inquiry ten years ago.
Flower, whose comments came in the light of the “spot-fixing” crisis which saw three members of the Pakistan team questioned by the British police, said he was satisfied with the spin bowling coach’s role within the team.
Mushtaq was named in a report into match-fixing by Justice Qayyum in 2000 because of the 40-year-old’s association with gamblers and illegal bookmakers. The Qayyum inquiry fined Mushtaq and five others including Inzamamul Haq, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Saeed Anwar and Akram Raza, and placed life-bans on former captain Salim Malik and Ataur Rehman.
The International Cricket Council said it would not have employed Mushtaq but Flower stated, “I’m very comfortable with Mushtaq. He’s been brilliant for us as a team. He’s been a good coach, a good example to our players and support staff. I’m looking forward to him working with us again when he joins us in Australia.
“I chatted with Mushy on the phone a couple of days ago. He’s a cricket coach - that’s what he is -and we’re very comfortable working with him. He’s a lovely man, and a good man for our system.”
The former spinner has been working with England since 2008.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 5th, 2010.