PCB – Zero Tolerance for Corruption – 100% Tolerance for Conflict of Interest

Mr. Ehsan Mani Chairman PCB must be appreciated for removing any doubts (created after the PCB’s press conference of 26 October 2018) about the status of the Justice Qayyum report on match fixing by clarifying in a press release of 30 October 2018 that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) strongly rejects the speculation over the Board’s perceived ‘rejection’ of the Justice Qayyum report on match-fixing, which further stated that the work of Justice Qayyum is acknowledged and appreciated by PCB and there is no truth in the perception created by a few media publications that the report has been dismissed by the PCB.

However, the controversy about involving “SULLIED” players in the PCB set up has erupted again after PCB’s above mentioned press release which stated that the Qayyum Commission report did not bar Mr. Wasim Akram from working for the betterment of cricket and for the PCB.

As such, it is imperative to quote below the statements of persons who appeared before the Justice Qayyum Inquiry Commission on Match Fixing (some of whom are still working in the PCB) and comments, recommendations and conclusion of Justice Qayyum in his report about Mr. Wasim Akram:

Quote.

Observations of Justice Qayyum:

“However, once this commission looks at the allegations in their totality, this commission feels that all is not well here and that Wasim Akram is not above board. He has not co-operated with this Commission. It is only by giving Wasim Akram the benefit of the doubt after Ata-ur-Rehman changed his testimony in suspicious circumstances that he has not been found guilty of match-fixing. He cannot be said to be above suspicion. It is, therefore, recommended that he be censured and be kept under strict vigilance and further probe be made either by the Government of Pakistan or by the Cricket Board into his assets acquired during his cricketing tenure and a comparison be made with his income. Furthermore, he should be fined Rs. 3 lac.

More importantly, it is further recommended that Wasim Akram be removed from captaincy of the national team. The captain of the national team should have a spot-less character and be above suspicion. Wasim Akram seems to be too sullied to hold that office.

Statements of 5 Players:

1. Imran Khan: Mr. Imran Khan, former Captain, also appeared before this Commission of Inquiry. He felt that match-fixing had taken place in Pakistani cricket but apart from what Ata-ur-Rehman had told him he had no information regarding match-fixing. Mr. Imran Khan maintained that the involvement of the Captain is imperative if match-fixing is to take place because guaranteeing the results of the match cannot be without the knowledge or consent of the Captain. Mr. Imran Khan also maintained that Intikhab Alam was a decent person and should be believed. He suggested that any one found guilty of match-fixing, should be banned for life and fines should be imposed on them.

2. Mr. Burki stated that when he was leaving the Board to the new set up, he had recommended that Salim Malik should never play for Pakistan again and that Ijaz Ahmad and Wasim Akram should be warned. He said he was sure that match-fixing and betting was going on in the Pakistani cricket team.

3. Majid Khan: Next to appear was the former Pakistani Captain and the recent Chief Executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Mr. Majid Khan. Mr. Majid Khan had been instrumental in the appointment of this Commission of Inquiry. Mr. Majid Khan deposed that after the disappointing performance of the Pakistani team in the Independence Cup Quadrangular matches, he confronted Haroon Rasheed. Mr. Haroon Rasheed maintained that if the Captain Wasim Akram was not interested in winning the matches, he, Haroon, should not be blamed. Mr. Majid Khan, produced exhibits which showed that Mr. Wasim Akram was promoting himself in the batting order, which was resulting in breaking the momentum and the slowing of the run rate. When Wasim Akram was confronted by Majid Khan, Wasim Akram replied that he was not aware of the in form batsman and the out of form batsman and that he would rectify the mistake. During the matches in Sharjah, the same mistake was repeated by Wasim Akram. He would promote himself in the batting order instead of Azhar Mahmood and Moin Khan. Mr. Majid Khan maintained that the exemplary punishment should be given to all those who were involved in match fixing so that an example could be set for others. He also suggested that investigating agencies should investigate the assets of the Players.

4. Mr. Haroon Rasheed felt that the main culprits were Wasim Akram, Ijaz Ahmad and Salim Malik.

5. Aaqib Javed: Aaqib Javed was next to appear before this Commission of Inquiry. He affirmed the assertions that he had received a telephone call from an unknown person in Sri Lanka asking him to contact Saleem Pervez who was allegedly a bookie and receive a sum of Rs. 15 Lacs and a vehicle. He also maintained that he saw one Hanif Cadbury freely mixing with players during the South African tour. He also affirmed that he had received a message indirectly from Wasim Akram that as he was not part of the game, he would never play cricket till Wasim Akram was captain. Aaqib Javed maintained that one of his friends Naeem Gulzar c/o Lahore Gymkhana had some information regarding match-fixing. He also affirmed that an oath was taken on the Holy Quran at the insistence of Mr. Intikhab Alam.
He accused Wasim Akram and Salim Malik of being the main culprits.

Recommendations of Justice Qayyum:

RECOMMENDATIONS
In order to prevent match-fixing in the future it is recommended�

That the Captain of Pakistan Cricket team should be a person of impeccable character and not someone anyone can point a finger at. From the evidence recorded, it can be seen that the Captain is the key player to be bought to fix a match. Hence, this strong recommendation.

That similarly, the manager should be a person of impeccable character. A manager should realize that there are people on this earth who would lie even on oath. A manager needs to keep a stern hand with the players.

That all foreign tours should take along an independent third party, an ombudsman of sorts to deal with players complaints and indiscipline. Such a person could be the chairman of the PCB or his impartial nominee.

That a new code of conduct should be introduced for the players. The ICC code of conduct needs to be tightened and more provisions need to be introduced, targeting specifically the threat of match-fixing. To this end, under the code, players should be stopped from associating with known bookies or people who are convicted of match-fixing and similar offences. Such terms should be made a pre-condition to employment by the PCB and should be incorporated into the players’ contracts.

That a permanent Review Committee should be formed to look into inter alia allegations of the match-fixing in the future. It should consist of people independent of the Board. The members of the review committee should have a good knowledge of cricket and have clean records. The Committee may also have a member being a former judge of the High Court or the Supreme Court of Pakistan. At the end of tours such a committee should look into the performance of the team and allegations of irregularities if any. Whenever there are any allegations, whether of match-fixing, ball-tampering or any other misconduct, the match should be reviewed by the Committee and its report should be submitted to the board. Such a committee should be prompt in its disposal of the matters raised, as lingering over the matter only makes matters worse.

That, inter alia, in order to facilitate the review committee, it should be made mandatory on the Board to collect video recordings of all the matches that have been played by the team and stored in its library. Such video recordings should be free of advertisements as it is when these ads are being shown i.e. at fall of wickets and change of ends that suspicious interchanges are likely to occur. This latter point is particularly raised as the moment in the Christchurch one-dayer where Salim Malik allegedly is said to have been angry with Rashid Latif for taking a catch is cut out by an advertisements break.

That the Review Committee adopt the two sub-offences approach to match-fixing as used by this Commission. This would allow it to sideline or warn players well before they can damage to the good name of the team.

That the PCB should adopt a zero tolerance approach in this matter.

That Pakistani cricketers should declare their assets at the time they start their career and annually submit their asset forms to the Pakistan Cricket Board. This would ensure that their assets can be compared with their earnings and spendings. Such information may be kept confidential by the PCB. The Board should also compare these figures against figures obtained through independent inquiries from the players’ employers (Counties, Leagues, Banks, etc.)

That players be forbidden to speak to the press unless authorized though a clause in their contract like the one contained in the ACB contract. Only after all PCB avenues of recourse have been exhausted can a player be excused from going to the press. This restriction may be limited to controversial matters only if the Board is so minded.

That in conjunction to the ban on speaking to the press, the PCB should actively take to defending its players, present and past, and not allow anyone to defame them. The players are the PCB’s true capital and it should recognize that.

That generally Pakistani Law needs a summary procedure for damages for defamation. Such a procedure would be a deterrent to baseless allegation and would provide satisfaction to the innocents accused.

That the ban on cellular phones and outside communication generally during matches should be strictly applied. Phones, if necessary, can be routed through the manager. Any breach of this regulation should be strictly taken note of.

That generally discipline of the team be strictly monitored and maintained. Allowing minor breaches to go unpunished leads to players taking liberties and bigger breaches follow.

That players be prepared for the possibility that they can be blackmailed. Gamblers try to lure them in with all sorts of offers. Offers of cars, women, etc. can all lead to blackmail if accepted. We have seen it happen to others. Pakistani players should not be left na�ve and it should be the duty of the board to educate these players when they come into the team as to the dangers and temptations are to that are faced by them.

That the Pakistan Cricket Board should consider not sending Pakistan to venues which are reputed to be dens of bookies.

That this report should be released to the public. To give it wide publication this may also be released on the internet too. To this end a copy of the report is submitted on disk too (Microsoft Word format).

That the PCB increase the pay of its Cricketers and develop for them more avenues of income (some are suggested below). It has been noticed that the Cricket Board is no longer a body which is running on grants by either the Federal government or by Federal Government institutions. The Board has of late become self-reliant and it is believed that the coffers of the Board are full. The Board after all generates money through the players and in all fairness the players deserve to receive more than they are presently receiving. An ACB cricketer earns in the region of US$250,000 to US$400,000 plus almost as much in endorsements on the side. Currently the PCB pays Pakistani cricketers around US$70,000 a year. Pakistani players for all their talent are not as well-paid as their counterparts abroad. As long as they are underpaid the tendency to be bribed remains. However, it should also be stated that such increases should not be to as high a level as some other countries because the cost of living in Pakistan as regards to the other countries is much lower. An increase with an eye on the standard of living in Pakistan is the order of the day.

That there are other avenues for funds that can be tapped by cricketers or the PCB on their behalf. Memoirs, biographies, tour diaries, sale of autographs and memorabilia can provide cricketers with adequate secondary remuneration. Moreover, with chances of playing cricket abroad (County, League, etc.) and employment available locally for cricketers (banks, etc.), this Commission finds it very painful to see that a cricketer would accept a bribe for instant money than avail any of the above noted opportunities for clean money.

That winning should be made more lucrative to players. To this end, further and more substantial win bonuses should be introduced. If players receive larger sums for playing well and winning tournaments, it would be an incentive to stay straight. No one is born corrupt or a match-fixer. This is especially so in the case of sportsmen. We have all heard of sportsman spirit and it is this spirit that needs to be inculcated into every child while he is developing his skills in the game. It is in this rationale and background that it is suggested that if players were to receive major sums of money for playing well in the form of win bonuses, the very temptation for an innocent sportsman of getting corrupt would in all probability be eliminated. This would, of course, be a scenario after all corrupt elements have been weeded out and punished.

That the pay structure of the PCB to its players be revised. Instead of being only based on seniority, when paying players, their performances, past and recent, should be worked into the pay-structure too. A player who fixes a match by getting a low score will feel the affects in his pay packet. That might be another incentive to stay straight. The pay structure now is strange in that if Salim Malik came back to the team he would get more than say Shoaib Akhtar. This leads to dissatisfaction among the younger stars and raises the possibility of corruption.

That, witnesses should be reimbursed for all the expenses they have incurred in following up this matter.

That Rashid Latif be given immunity for the offence of tapping phones as long as such an offence was committed so as to assist this commission of inquiry and the tapes were produced before this commission in an unedited and authentic form. For the purpose of this immunity, there be a presumption that the tapes are authentic unless proven otherwise: the burden to prove them fakes lies on the parties alleging they are fake. Thereafter, fakes may well be acted upon.

That the Pakistan Government should investigate gambling in Pakistan. Gambling is against Islamic law, yet the extent to which it is carried out in Pakistan and tolerated was a revelation. The people named in the Ehtesaab Report and the ones captured during this inquiry need to be investigated and prosecuted.

That, the following avenues if the patron be so minded be investigated. Inter alia, for lack of time, these were not pursued.

A more thorough investigation into allegation of match-fixing in domestic matches.

Verification of all the Rashid Latif tapes, inter alia by confronting players with them. (Saeed Anwar, Javed Burki, Arif Abbassi, etc.)

That, it needs to be said to the general public, this matter now needs to be put to rest. When they react to losses, the Public should be more tolerant in its criticism and remember that cricket is still a game of chance and the players are indeed human still. The other team is there to play too and the Pakistan team is not that invincible, at least not all of the time, that if they lose or fail to come from behind there must be something amiss. Even some of the Pakistan team coaches need to take note of that. (Haroon Rasheed’s allegation against Saqlain was ludicrous.)

That, to those disappointed with their fallen heroes, it be suggested that humans are fallible. Cricketers are only cricketers. Please maintain a sense of perspective when you react and criticise.

Conclusion of Report by Justice Qayyum :

CONCLUSION
The allegation that the Pakistan team is as a whole is involved in match-fixing is just based on allegation, conjectures and surmises without there being positive proof. As a whole, the players of the Pakistan Cricket team are innocent.

However, there is clear evidence of match-fixing against Mr. Salim Malik. He should be banned for life from Cricket. Further an inquiry should be conducted into his assets and charges brought against him in a criminal court of law.

The evidence against Wasim Akram has not come up to the requisite level, primarily because of Ata-ur-Rehman’s perjuring himself. This Commission is willing to give him the benefit of doubt. However, there has been some evidence to cast doubt on his integrity. As such, this Commission recommends that he be removed from the captaincy of the Pakistan Cricket Team and a person of impeccable character be appointed. Moreover, he should be censured, kept under watch and his finances should be investigated.

Ata-ur-Rehman is being proceeded against for perjury. Further, it is recommended that he be banned from international cricket.

This commission recommends that PCB should enforce declaration of assets by all its players and, if necessary, initiate a probe into their accounts.

In addition to recommendation of other punishments, fines are recommended against the following players as follows (as explained esrlier):

Salim Malik Rs. 10 lac
Wasim Akram Rs. 3 lac
Mushtaq Ahmad Rs. 3 lac
Ata-ur-Rehman Rs. 4 lac
Waqar Younis Rs. 1 lac
Inzamam-ul-Haq Rs. 1 lac
Akram Raza Rs. 1 lac
Saeed Anwar Rs. 1 lac

It may be recommended inter alia that a watch-dog Review Committee be formed to deal with future allegations if any. Further that all Pakistani cricket players should declare their assets at the time they start their career at the national level and annually submit their asset forms to the Pakistan Cricket Board. A zero tolerance approach be taken against match-fixing in the future and strict discipline generally be maintained.

(Sd/- Justice Malik Muhammad Qayyum)

The facts stated above, at least confirms; that the debate about what the commission stated, recommended and concluded and also renowned cricketers have said about Mr. Wasim Akram. So, now if the PCB can not survive without the services of Mr. Wasim Akram (even after considering the above stated views of Mr. Imran Khan and other legendary cricketers) he may be included in the PCB set up.

Moreover, as yet again the PCB stated in its press release of 30 October 2018 that the PCB maintains a zero-tolerance policy on corruption and would continue to stay vigilant through its Anti-Corruption Department at all levels of the game, both with players and officials, it is need of the hour for the top management of the PCB, to understand, that the mother of corruption is the CONFLICT OF INTEREST, about which the PCB management seems least concerned particularly with interactions of its officials and players with the PSL franchises; which is also evident from the fact that even after involvement of so many players of a PSL franchise in spot fixing scandal, not only no action has been taken by the PCB against its captain and other officials, but the PCB showing 100% tolerance of conflict of interest; made two of its senior management personnel, as members of the cricket committee.

In view of the foregoing, it is suggested that the cricket committee of the PCB may be broadly re-constituted by considering legend players with no conflict of interest like Wasim Bari, Javed Miandad, Iqbal Qasim, Sikander Bakht, Amir Suhail, Muhammad Yousaf, Abdul Qadir, Shoaib Akhtar and Shoaib Muhammad.

Last but not the least, the PCB (which has reiterated that it has not rejected the Justice Qayyum Match Fixing Inquiry Report) should also inform the Public about any action taken about the player, mentioned in the report, whose assets were found beyond means by the Ehtesaab Commission, which reported the matter to Justice Qayyum during the inquiry proceedings.