JOHANNESBURG, 13 February 2003 — Pakistan wicketkeeper Rashid Latif was cleared yesterday of a charge that he made a racist comment toward Australia’s Adam Gilchrist during a World Cup match on Tuesday.
“I am extremely relieved at being cleared of a very serious charge and I am happy that my stance has been vindicated,” Latif told Reuters.
“This was a very serious charge against me and I could not have lived with the slur of being tagged a racist.
“I am hopeful that this issue will now die down and I have no hard feelings toward anyone, including Adam Gilchrist and the Australian team. I just want to now concentrate on the World Cup.”
The charge was brought under the International Cricket Council (ICC) code of conduct by Steve Bernard, the Australian team manager, on behalf of Gilchrist after the Group A match, which Australia won by 82 runs.
“I was shocked by the comment I believe I heard but I was more than comfortable with the process followed by the ICC and fully accept the outcome of the decision,” Gilchrist told reporters.
“I’ve shaken hands with Rashid Latif and (Pakistan captain) Waqar Younis and I’m happy to say the issue is totally closed.
“Rashid and I have had a fantastic playing relationship and friendship over the years and I hope it can continue that way. I don’t want to see a situation where ill-feeling arises.” Match referee Clive Lloyd explained the reasons behind his decision to clear Latif.
“I heard representation from both parties and video evidence supplied by the ACB,” Lloyd said in a statement.
“Taken in its entirety I decided there was not sufficient evidence to prove the allegation. Accordingly, Rashid Latif was exonerated from the charge.”
The 34-year-old Latif top-scored with 33 as Pakistan struggled to 228 all out in reply to the world champions’ 310 for eight.
He has played 34 Test matches and 144 One-Day Internationals since making his Pakistan debut in 1992.
Australia batsman Darren Lehmann was suspended for five matches last month after making a racist comment in his team’s dressing room during a match against Sri Lanka.
The final game of Lehmann’s ban was the match against Pakistan on Tuesday, and he will be available for Saturday’s clash with India.
Latif to sue Aussies for defamation
Rashid Latif told AFP yesterday he planned to take the entire Australian team to court for alleging he racially abused Adam Gilchrist. “I am not going to leave them,” an angry Latif said.
“They have ruined my name, my family’s name and caused me immense pain.”
“I have approached the Pakistan Cricket Board for permission to take legal action against the Australians after the World Cup, and I am confident I will get that permission,” the 34-year-old said.
“It is difficult to express my anger at what has happened.”
Latif said what should have been a day of celebration for him and the rest of the team on account of Eid Al-Adha, turned into a nightmare.
“Not only me, but the entire Pakistan team was in a state of depression after what happened,” he said. “It is no consolation that my name has been cleared. I can’t understand what made the Australians do this, I have no answer to that.
“Can you imagine living the rest of my life branded a racist? I am not that kind of a person and will never be,” he said.
The Australians reported to the ICC that Latif turned around to Gilchrist, who was keeping wicket, and allegedly shouted an obscene racial remark.
After the match, Lloyd summoned the two players and the respective managers, Steve Bernard of Australia and Shaharyar Khan for a hearing.
A subsequent hearing ordered by Lloyd yesterday cleared Latif of any wrongdoing.
“We are very happy that the matter has been resolved,” Khan said.
“We were always behind Latif and convinced that he would never have been involved in such things.”
Lloyd was also the match referee who handed Australia’s Darren Lehmann a five-match suspension for a racial remark against Sri Lanka last month. If Lloyd had found Latif guilty, and handed him a five-match suspension as he did in Lehmann’s case, Pakistan would have been without a specialist wicketkeeper for the key matches ahead against England and India.
Latif blew the whistle on the match-fixing scandal in 1995 when he walked out of Pakistan’s tour of southern Africa, accusing captain Salim Malik of being involved with bookmakers. (Agencies)
