 "Former ICC umpire Asad Rauf blames Sehwag for wrong spot-fixing accusation")
Former ICC Elite Panel umpire Asad Rauf was found running a used-goods shop in Lahore’s Landa Bazar after the 66-year-old retired from umpiring in 2013 following allegations of spot-fixing and sexual exploitations back then.
In a career marred with controversy towards the end of his career, the former umpire was banned for five years by the Indian cricket board (BCCI) in 2016 after his alleged involvement in a betting scandal during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2013.
Three years ago, former Indian opener Virender Sehwag also accused him of spot-fixing saying that Rauf didn’t give him out for a caught behind appeal during 2008 Mohali Test against Australia after he gifted him shoes, a t-shirt, and glasses from a popular brand he endorsed.
Rauf refuted both the claims saying he was never involved in any unfair practices.
"Unse mera toh koi lena dena tha hi nahi, wo unhi (BCCI) ki taraf se aaye aur unhone hi decision le liye (I had nothing to do with these issues, the allegations came from the BCCI’s side and they decided on me themselves)," Rauf told Pakistan’s Hum News in an interview.
“As far as Sehwag is concerned, uski kya majaal wo ek ICC elite umpire se kuch kahe. (Sehwag has no power to ask an ICC elite panel umpire to ask for a favour). I was never accused of such behaviour in my career before," he added
Ex Test Umpire Asad Rauf Open Shop in Landa Bazar … Shrugs off @virendersehwag Bribery claims … He quit umpiring due to his son critical health condition… #asadrauf #umpire #icc @humnewspakistan @humnews_urdu pic.twitter.com/ZILx6MinMk
— Usman Khan (@usmann_khann) June 23, 2022 Rauf also refused the claims of 2012 sexual exploitation by Indian model Leena Kapoor, who launched a complaint at a Mumbai police station, accusing Rauf of going back on his promise to marry her.
"Us ladki ne sasti sauhrat k lie aisa ki, Hindustan me aisa hi hota hai (She did that for gaining some cheap fame, that’s how things happen in India). If the allegations were true, I wouldn’t have gone to India the next year for the IPL and she later apologised to me as well," Rauf told another news channel PakTV.
Earlier Sehwag had said on a chat show ‘What The Duck’ that he jokingly asked Rauf not to give him out and to his surprise, the umpire obliged during the match.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“Asad Rauf was very fond of collecting things. He loved wearing branded glasses, t-shirts, and shoes among other things. I was the brand ambassador of Adidas at the time, so I gifted him shoes, t-shirts, and glasses and I jokingly told him not to raise his finger while I am batting,” Sehwag had said in the interview.
“And he did exactly that. We were playing against Australia in Mohali in 2008 – the same match where VVS Laxman got us over the line. Mitchell Johnson bowled a short-pitch delivery and I attempted a cut shot but ended up edging it. So thick was the edge that it was heard even inside the dressing room but Rauf gave me not out.”
The decision baffled then Australia captain Ricky Ponting who argued with the umpire to recall his decision but Rauf didn’t pay any heed.
“Ricky Ponting was so angry that he went to the umpire and argued how he could give it not out. The umpire told him that there was no edge. Ponting then rushed to me and asked ‘Did you nick it?’ I said ‘Yes’. He then went back to Asad Rauf and told him ‘even Viru is saying he nicked it.’ Then they both came up to me and Rauf asked me ‘Did you nick it?’ to which I said ‘No’.
“Ponting then started arguing with me ‘you just said you nicked it’. Then I told him ‘Mr. Ponting you never walked and you’re expecting somebody else to walk.’ I told him that the umpire has a job to do, let him do his job and you do yours and I’ll do mine,” Sehwag narrated.
Speaking of his post-umpiring life, Rauf said he doesn’t watch cricket anymore since 2013 and quit umpiring because of his son’s bad health.
“Maine 2013 ke baad cricket se bilkul he…..kyunki mai jo kaam chhodta hu usko chhod hi deta hu (I haven’t been in touch with the game since 2013, because once I leave something I leave it completely)," he was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.
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