Waqar Younis urges media to end talks of match-fixing – ICC World Cup 2011 news
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 coach Waqar Younis on Wednesday stressed that the ongoing ICC World Cup 2011 was a corruption free affair and urged the media as well as the cricket pundits to end talks about match-fixing.
“…let's not talk about it. I think the games have been pretty fair, the entire tournament has been pretty clean, if you ask me,” said the former captain of Pakistan. “The teams who are better have won games and I think it's pretty clean. People talk about
these things because nowadays it is on.”
Waqar’s comments came after the state television of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 speculated over whether two Sri Lankan batsmen, Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera might have deliberately ‘changed the game’ by holing out cheaply in their team’s 11-run defeat against
Pakistan on Saturday.
The channel also claimed that a local businessman had placed a bet of $18,000 for Sri Lanka’s loss.
The Sri Lanka Cricket authorities have strongly condemned the allegations. A leading news channel has claimed that Sri Lanka’s vice-captain Jayawardene is considering taking legal action against the state channel.
It is also being reported that the International Cricket Council’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit is looking into the slow start of Australia’s innings against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Zimbabwe-c3045.
Waqar Younis feels quite relaxed that the current match-fixing spate does not involve his side, which has had a tumultuous 2010 season due to the spot-fixing saga and many other off-the-field controversies.
“…I'm glad Pakistan is not in it, so good for us,” said the Pakistan coach. “It feels great.”
Three Pakistan players, Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, were handed lengthy bans days before the commencement of the mega cricketing event for their involvement in spot-fixing during a Test match against England at Lord’s in 2010.
All the three players are also facing criminal charges under the British Law and are due to appear before the court in London on 17 http://www.senore.com/Cricket/March-c74391, 2011.
The former pacer of Pakistan was confident his side would keep up the winning momentum after winning their first two games of the tournament against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Kenya-c752 and Sri Lanka.
Pakistan will now play minnows http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Canada-c748 in Colombo on Thursday and the team coach insisted that the side would not take any game lightly. He further added that there are bigger teams ahead so it was very important for the side to keep the momentum going.
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