http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755’s Akram Raza Claims to be Innocent
Pakistan’s former international cricketer, Akram Raza, has pleaded not guilty after he was arrested in a police bust on a gambling den while he was busy betting on an Indian Premier League (IPL) match.
Akram after being let go on bail, insisted that he was trapped, and had nothing to do with match-fixing. Talking to newsmen after getting out from police custody, he said, “I have nothing to do with the illegal betting in IPL and it was a set up just to
get me there”
Akram speaking to clear his position reiterated that he had no links with match-fixers and the whole fiasco was a misunderstanding. He said that he was in Ashrafi plaza, Lahore to meet a friend and as soon as he reached the place, the Police raided the office
of his friend and arrested them on suspicions of betting on IPL matches.
According to reports, the police arrested seven people and confiscated cell phones, cash, computers, televisions and contacts of possible Indian bookies.
Akram, who happens to be an umpire and has been officiating domestic tournaments organized by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) vowed to clear his name from this debacle and come clean in the eyes of the country’s cricket board.
“It is a bad incident in which I have been involved through a planned move and at this stage my career as a national umpire is at stake and I will do everything to prove myself innocent. I will be writing to PCB through my lawyer in a couple of days to explain
my point of view and to prove my innocence,” he said while talking to the media.
In 2000, Akram was among the six Pakistan players fined for their involvement in match-fixing in an inquiry headed by Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum.
However, there is a big question mark over the reason why the PCB appointed a suspected felon as an umpire in its domestic circuit. With a tainted past, Akram will have to come up with a perfect alibi to prove his innocence.
Akram has played nine Test matches and 49 One Day Internationals for Pakistan. He spent most of his career under the captaincy of former middle-order batsman Saleem Malik who was banned by the PCB in May, 2000 for his involvement in match-fixing.
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