Imran rubbishes Malik’s warning to Pak cricketers on match fixing
March 28th, 2011 - 2:43 pm ICT by ANIKarachi, Mar. 28 (ANI): Former Pakistan cricket captain Imran Khan has rubbished Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s warning to the Pakistan cricket team not to indulge in match fixing in their crucial World Cup semi-final against India.
Khan said he was more worried about the activities of Malik than of the Pakistan cricket team. He said he was confident that the national team would put pride before all else to try and beat India in Wednesday’s clash at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali.
Khan was giving a rejoinder to Malik’s warning that he (Malik) was keeping a “close watch” on the team’s activities.
Malik told media persons: “I gave a warning that there should be no match-fixing. I am keeping a close watch. If any such thing happens, we are going to take action.”
Malik was speaking in Karachi days ahead of the game in Mohali that will showcase one of the world’s most intense sporting rivalries.
Malik said that though he was “sure the team has very clean members”, intelligence is being gathered on the Pakistani cricketers, including “who are meeting them and the position of their telephones”.
“This is necessary because we can’t take a chance after what happened in London,” he said, in a reference to a recent match-fixing controversy in Britain involving three Pakistani players.
Malik said: “Do your practice, sleep early at night and wake at the proper time. They should dedicate themselves to Pakistan for the match.”
“There is a lot of love for the cricketers and we hope they will win the game for us. We expect they will not disappoint the people,” he said.
Malik also welcomed his Indian counterpart P Chidambaram’s remarks about adequate security being provided to the Pakistani team while in India in light of possible threats to the players.
He noted that Chidambaram had said special arrangements would be made for the game in Mohali, including the deploying of some 1,000 commandoes.
“I am sure of his (Chidambaram’s) capability. He is a man of wisdom and authority and has the capability to handle things well,” Malik said. (ANI)
- Watching Pakistan players to foil match fixing: Malik - Mar 28, 2011
- Malik backtracks from 'match-fixing' warning to Pak team following furore - Mar 29, 2011
- Imran lashes out at Pakistani minister on match-fixing - Mar 28, 2011
- Indo-Pak World Cup semi-final clash "match of the century": Sarfraz Nawaz - Mar 29, 2011
- Pak cricket team fumes over timing, manner of Malik's match-fixing warning - Mar 29, 2011
- Sehwag, Bhajji rubbish reports of match-fixing in World Cup semi-final - Mar 16, 2012
- Malik shouldn't have issued match-fixing warning to Pak team "at such a time": Afridi - Mar 29, 2011
- Former PCB chief claims all cricket-playing nations involved in match-fixing - Sep 21, 2010
- Manmohan invites Zardari, Gilani for cricket -- and peace (Night Intro) - Mar 26, 2011
- ICC should thoroughly probe spot-fixing scandal: Ponting - Sep 21, 2010
- Manmohan invites Zardari, Gilani for cricket -- and peace (Intro Roundup) - Mar 25, 2011
- Pakistani daily rues match fixing in cricket - Mar 15, 2012
- Manmohan, Zardari, Gilani to watch cricket -- for peace (Roundup) - Mar 25, 2011
- Omar tweets on Pakistan minister's match-fixing warning - Mar 28, 2011
- `Indo-Pak cricket: Emotions high, passions rising' - Mar 29, 2011
Tags: adequate security, clash, close watch, controversy, cricket captain, imran khan, indian counterpart, interior minister, media persons, mohali, p chidambaram, pak cricketers, pakistan cricket team, pakistani cricketers, proper time, punjab cricket association, rehman malik, rejoinder, rivalries, world cup