Audio tape claims match-fixing in ICL

Karachi, Aug 9 (PTI) A new match-fixing controversy has
surfaced here with the release of an audio tape in which two
Pakistan Cricket Board officials are allegedly talking about
games being fixed in the rebel Indian Cricket League.

The audio tape was sent to several media representatives
from an unknown e-mail address and was also uploaded on the
youtube website.

The tape has a member of the national selection committee
Mohammad Illyas telling PCB chief operating officer Saleem
Altaf about how matches were fixed in the ICL.

He is apparently referring to the first edition of the
ICL, a league in which his son-in-law Imran Farhat also took
part.

Illyas, a former Test player, tells how several Pakistani
players fixed matches and also how a discarded Test batsman
used to go out to bat drunk in the unauthorised league which
has now dwindled out.

Incidentally, the audio tape has nothing much coming from
Altaf who is heard saying mostly "yes, yes, okay, okay".

Illyas, when contacted, flatly denied that it was his
voice on the tape.

"The voice has been doctored. Someone is trying to damage
Pakistan cricket and why would I say something to jeopardise
the career of my son-in-law," Illyas said.

But a former official of the Pakistan Cricket Board, who
was in a key position during the tenure of former PCB chief Dr
Nasim Ashraf, admitted that the tape was from a collection of
recordings made of the telephone line of Saleem Altaf on the
instructions of Ashraf.

"The telephone conversations of Altaf were being taped
secretly and he didn't know about it. But it is wrong if
someone has released publicly what is a private and
confidential tape," the official said.

Ashraf had sacked Altaf from his position as COO in July,
2008 on the basis of his taped conversations in which the
former Test bowler was accused of leaking out confidential
information of the board.

Altaf took the PCB to court and was re-appointed after
Ejaz Butt took over as Board President.

When contacted Altaf said he had heard about the audio
tape but not listened to it.

"Illyas has this habit of even talking on heresay
information. Everyone knows that. But if anything it must have
been a general conversation nothing more," he said. PTI CORR
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