One-day series against Pakistan must go on: Swann
August 31st, 2010 - 5:51 pm ICT by ANI
London, Aug 31 (ANI): England off spinner Graeme Swann has said the upcoming one-day series against Pakistan must go on as scheduled, despite the alleged involvement of Pakistani players in a betting scandal.
Swann says he has no problem playing against any Pakistani cricketer, be it accused skipper Salman Butt or fast-bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif.
It was, however, reported last night that the Pakistani Cricket Board (PCB) might take stern action against the accused cricketers and remove them from the squad fortwo Twenty20 and five 50-over matches to take place.
“I am very keen for the one-dayers to go ahead. I love one-day cricket and, with nothing proved, I have no problem whatsoever who I play against. What I want most is that cricket gets back in the papers for the right reasons - for someone to score an unbelievable hundred or produce a great spell of bowling,” The Sun quoted Swann as saying.
“It’s terrible for cricket to have something like this hanging over it. We want a clean game and that’s what the spectators deserve,” he added.
Earlier on Monday, the Pakistani team travelled by coach from London to Taunton; where they will play a one-day practice match against Somerset on Thursday before the first T20 match in Cardiff in Sunday.The Pakistani team has now been joined by controversial all-rounder Shahid Afridi and paceman Shoaib Akhtar for the remainder of the tour. (ANI)
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Tags: afridi, amir, butt, cardiff, cricket board, cricketers, match, mohammad, pakistani cricket, pakistani cricketer, pcb, remainder, rounder, scandal, shoaib akhtar, somerset, spectators, spinner, stern action, twenty20