On a day Pakistan’s interior minister Rehman Malik triggered a controversy of propriety by publicly warning his country’s players against match-fixing in the high-voltage semifinal encounter, its World Cup winning captain Imran Khan said the accounts of the players should be disclosed to check such corrupt practices in cricket.
”We all know that investigating spot fixing is very difficult and I say disclosure of players’ all bank accounts may be the best
to keep cricket free from fixing,” Khan told reporters in Kolkata at a programme titled “Keep Cricket Clean”, a campaign by mobile service provider Idea.
He said the International Cricket Council (ICC) can take lesson like the US asking Switzerland to disclose all foreign accounts to keep pressure on the people.
Imran Khan said the ICC should more vigilant against corruption in cricket.
Imran Khan also took on his country’s interior minister Rehman Malik who has warned the Pakistan cricket team against indulging in any kind of match-fixing during the India-Pakistan World Cup semifinal on Mar 30.
Khan said the team does not concern him but the minister does.
“I would rather keep close watch on the activities of Malik than the team,” Khan said.
Khan is also a politician in Pakistan though his Pakistan Tarique Insaf party has not made any mark so far.
Khan said if any player is caught doing wrong and involve in match fixing he should be punished sternly, so that no one dared to repeat such crime in future.
India’s World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev, however, said the Pakistan minister’s concern may not be totally unfounded given the recent scandals.
Kapil Dev said betting in India is illegal, and hence no one should indulge in betting.
Australian World Cup winning captain Alan Border said ICC was doing it best to keep the game clean.