Bribery scandal: PCB committee likely to announce verdict soon

Footage shows umpires were entrapped, says official.

KARACHI: A Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) committee, formed to probe into the umpires’ bribery scandal, including Pakistan’s Nadeem Ghauri and Anees Siddiqui, is likely to announce the verdict soon.

According to an official close to the matter, the committee has obtained all necessary evidence, including the television footage and is close to finishing their assessment of these.

Last October, India TV had carried out a sting operation through which they leveled corruption allegations on six umpires, including four from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka besides the Pakistan pair.

Subsequently, the International Cricket Council (ICC) suspended the tainted umpires, as a result of which the PCB disallowed Ghauri and Siddiqui from officiating in domestic cricket and formed a committee to investigate the matter.



However, Ghauri has rejected the allegations made against him.

“I have done nothing wrong in my 12 years of umpiring,” said Ghauri. “This is a conspiracy of the Indian lobby which wants to dismantle Pakistan cricket.”

Decision expected soon: official

After three months of investigation into the matter, the official said that a verdict by the PCB committee is expected to be revealed soon.

“The footage obtained showed that the umpires were entrapped,” the official told The Express Tribune. “However, the umpires showed a lack of common sense by continuing with the conversation that was carried out to trap them. It was a mistake on their part.”

The official added that it would be premature to speak about any possible actions against the umpires.

“Apart from being involved in the conversation, no other wrong doings were found on their part.  However, taking the conversation into account, they cannot be termed completely innocent since they have enough experience to know better.

“The committee is still weighing the outcome of the probe and its decision is to be expected soon. The board maintains a zero tolerance policy towards corruption just like the ICC, and hence the decision will be taken accordingly.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 24^th, 2013.