Thaindian News

Karachi, Jan 2(ANI): The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has approached the International Cricket Council (ICC) to allow it to select players involved in the spot-fixing scandal in their preliminary World Cup squad.

The PCB has not yet cleared the names of wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal, all-rounder Shoaib Malik and leg-spinner Danish Kaneria. Former Pakistan Test captain Salman Butt and pacers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir already remain suspended by the ICC on spot-fixing charges.

According to well-placed sources, the PCB had informed the national selectors about contacting the ICC again for assistance on the issue.

“Basically the PCB has asked the ICC for its views on giving clearance to Malik, Akmal and even leg-spinner, Danish Kaneria,” the Daily Times quoted a source, as saying. “They want to first get the nod from the ICC before deciding on whether they should select Akmal and Malik for the World Cup preliminary squad and for the one-day series in New Zealand,” the source added.

The Integrity Committee, formed by the PCB to examine suspected national players, had asked Malik, Akmal and Kaneria to submit details of their assets and bank accounts owing to doubt that they might be involved in spot-fixing.

The source said some of the members of the Integrity Committee, who interviewed the trio on Wednesday, were not satisfied with the explanation given by Akmal, in particular about his sources of income.

The PCB’s national selection committee concluded a two-day meeting in Lahore on Friday, but postponed the announcement of the preliminary World Cup squad, as the suspected players are yet to be cleared by the board over their alleged links with bookmakers.

Since the selection committee had time until January 5 to announce the 30-member squad, they wanted to be doubly sure about getting clearance from the board on certain players, said chief selector Mohsin Khan, who chaired the meeting. (ANI)