KARACHI, 13 December 2002 — Pakistan’s former captain and fast bowler Wasim Akram has decided to challenge the Justice Malik Qayyum recommendations specifically made against him in the Supreme Court.

In a significant development, Wasim 36 has informed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that he will be filing a petition soon in the higher court challenging the fines imposed on him and the condition that he not be given the responsibility of leading Pakistan again.

A PCB spokesman Samiul Hasan confirmed that Wasim had conveyed to the Board Chairman officially about his intentions before leaving for Zimbabwe.

“Yes he has told us officially that he intends to file a petition challenging the recommendations made by the commission and implemented by the Board,” Hasan said.

“The Board has given him the go ahead to challenge the recommendations about him as it is his legal and fundamental right,” he added This latest development though belated seemingly is a last ditch effort by the former captain to try to clear a major hurdle in the way of his being reinstated as captain for the World Cup. “Why challenge the Justice Qayyum recommendations now. The match-fixing commission had given its recommendations to the Board more then two years ago. If he was so upset about it he would have filed a petition in the court almost immediately,” an observer noted.

“Salim Malik for example didn’t waste any time in challenging the commission’s recommended life ban on him and is still fighting the case despite his appeals being rejected by the lower courts,” he pointed out.

Though it is not known when exactly Wasim’s lawyer will file the petition, but if Wasim is moving the petition in a bid to qualify as captainship material for the World Cup then the time remaining for him is limited.

As the World Cup kicks off in Cape Town from Feb. 8. Wasim is still regarded as a prime candidate to lead the Pakistan team in the World Cup at least by the oard chairman and a particular lobby but a specific recommendation made by the Justice Qayyum match-fixing commission is a legal hurdle in this happening.

The commission, which worked on the orders of the government specifically, recommended in May 2000 that the Board should avoid reinstating him as captain in future as their were serious allegations and doubts about his role in the match-fixing scandal.

The Justice Qayyum judicial commission after holding its extensive inquiry had recommended a life ban on former captain Salim Malik for his involvement in match fixing and fines on five other players two years back.

These players included Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Inzamam-ul Haq, and Saeed Anwar who were fined for not cooperating fully with the commission.

The Board spokesman said that while the PCB had no objections to Wasim filing a petition, but it would not provide with him any sort of support.

“We have given him the go ahead. But the PCB has also made it clear it will not provide with any technical or legal support in this matter,” Hasan said.

“The petition he files would be his individual matter. The Board has nothing to do with it. The PCB is not supporting him,” he added.

Wasim a key to Pakistan’s success in World Cup, say Indian stars

Wasim Akram has been identified as the key to Pakistan’s chances of winning next year’s World Cup in South Africa by two Indian greats Sachin Tendulkar and Ravi Shastri.

Appearing on a television program, both the star Indian cricketers had a lot of praise for Wasim as a cricketer and fast bowler and said he would be one of the key players in the World Cup.

“You just look at his record and bag of wickets. He has close to 1000 wickets in Tests and One-Day Internationals then how can anyone doubt his value to the Pakistan team in the World Cup,” well-known commentator and expert Shastri said.

Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar recalled his numerous battles with Wasim on the field and described him as the best fast bowler he had faced in his career.

“I have not seen a better left arm fast bowler then him. He is the best no doubt about that.”

Tendulkar said Wasim’s fighting qualities were reflected in the fact that whenever their were match-fixing allegations leveled against him he came up with qualify performances.

“I think that was his way of answering and silencing his critics,” Tendulkar said.

The former Indian captain had no doubt that Wasim would be the key to Pakistan’s chances of winning the World Cup.

“He is very difficult to face. He has so much control and variety. You don’t know what is the next ball he is going to come up with,” Tendulkar stated.

He recalled that when he made his Test debut against Pakistan in Karachi in 1989, Wasim bowled him four bouncers in a row as he waited for the yorker to come and the over ended. “That is his quality as a bowler. He makes you think all the time as a batsman.”

He also recounted that in one particular match in Sharjah, he (Tendulkar) and Sanjay Manjrekar had produced a very good partnership and put their team on the road to victory.

But as soon as another bowler broke the stand and the captain reintroduced Wasim into the attack he swept away the remaining Indian batting.

Wasim allowed to use insulin

Pakistan’s seasoned fast bowler Wasim Akram has been cleared by the International cricket council to use insulin during the World Cup in South Africa.

The ICC clearance has come after the PCB moved a request with the ICC seeking clarification if the use of insulin featured in the ICC’s anti-doping policy.

“We just wanted to clarify the situation because the ICC has announced it would be enforcing its anti-doping regulations strictly in the World Cup, which is a high profile and premier cricket event,” a PCB official said.

“We wanted to be sure that use of insulin shots does not constitute violation of the anti-doping regulations and we are happy that the ICC has now clarified the position,” he said.

The ICC has made it clear it would be enforcing its new anti-doping regulations in line with other sports and has advised its members to follow the instructions carefully and avoid the banned substances to stay clear of any major scandal.

“The idea was also to get official permission from the ICC for Wasim to take insulin shots which he needs at times during the day,” the official said.

Wasim 36 who would be appearing in his fifth consecutive World Cup in South Africa has been a diabetic patient since the last four years and takes insulin shots regularly to function as a normal human being and continue his cricket career.

“Wasim has been informed of the situation. And he is relieved because he was worried that insulin might be on the banned substances list of the ICC,” he said.

World Cup will be free of

corruption: ICC officials

The International cricket council (ICC) officials left for their respective destinations on Monday from Lahore after proclaiming that next year’s World Cup would be free of corruption and pleading to member nations, the media and former players to be patient with the progress of Bangladesh in the Test arena. ICC President Malcolm Gray and chief executive Malcolm Speed said before leaving that stringent security measures had been placed for the World Cup and it would free of corruption.

“So that what happened sometime ago should not happen again. It was very disturbing,” Gray said. “We have put in great amount of work so that the tournament is free of any corruption problems,” he added.

The World Cup will be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya in February and March with 14 teams competing over a 45 days period.

The ICC chief felt that generally the ICC drive against corruption and match fixing had been a success and is most widely talked about.

“In last two and half years we have done enough and the corruption is suppressed,” Gray said. He admitted that the ICC and its member cricket boards have been rocked in the last four years by revelations of players having a nexus with professional bookmakers and gamblers to fix matches but things had been set right.

“The operations of the Anti-Corruption unit have been a success they have achieved 100 per cent results. We have even managed to bring to the surface some of the characters involved in this seedy racket,” he said in reference to the life bans placed on former captains Salim Malik (Pakistan), Muhammad Azharuddin (India) and the late Hansie Cronje (South Africa).

Malcolm Speed noted that the ACU consisted of experienced police officials who had a brilliant record of fighting against crime and corruption.