Former Pakistan batsman Salim Malik says allegations questioning his integrity untrue, urges PCB to treat him fairly

Islamabad: Former Pakistan Test captain Salim Malik says allegations that question his integrity are untrue and urged the Pakistan Cricket Board to treat him fairly. “I have submitted a detailed reply today but the transcript they gave me was totally mala fide,” Malik said on Monday using a legal term used to convey “bad faith” to describe the allegations. [caption id=“attachment_8461891” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Salim Malik was handed a life-ban by PCB in 2000 for match-fixing, which was ultimately lifted in 2008. AP[/caption] The allegations are part of a transcript that stems from a sting operation against Malik in England in 2001 that was conducted by Mazhar Mehmood, a reporter who broke the 2010 spot-fixing scandal story involving three Pakistan cricketers — Mohammad Amir, Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif. The three cricketers were banned for a minimum of five years in 2010 after being found guilty of spot-fixing during a Test match against England at Lord’s. In 2016, Mehmood was jailed for 15 months after he was found guilty of conspiring to pervert the course of justice in relation to another trial. Malik, who played 103 Test matches and 263 ODIs between 1981-1999, was banned by the PCB in 2000 on the recommendation of a judicial inquiry headed by Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum. The inquiry carried out an investigation into allegations of match-fixing made against several Pakistani players. In its findings the inquiry recommended a life ban for Malik and fines for other senior players including Wasim Akram, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis. Malik challenged his punishment in court and it was lifted in October 2008, when a civil court judge said imposing the ban had been beyond the PCB’s powers. “I fought my case in courts for eight years and they (PCB) never came up with any such transcript ever,” Malik said. Malik said Justice Malik Qayyum’s report that led to his life ban “carried no value” because the judge later said on television that he favoured some of the cricketers under investigation in his decision. “Justice Qayyum’s report doesn’t carry any value, it was biased,” Malik said. “I have been suffering with injustice for long. I never criticise anyone in my statements … all are great players and had served the country with distinctions. “At the same time I also served Pakistan and won lots of games for the country and I deserved to be treated equally. I know there have been a lot of changes at the helm (of the PCB) in the last 10 years and now I hope for the best.” In the past decade, the PCB has reinstated several banned cricketers, allowing some including Amir, Butt, Asif and Sharjeel Khan to rejoin the national team or take part in domestic cricket. Shortly after Malik’s ban was lifted in 2008, he claimed that the PCB had offered him an opportunity to become head coach at the National Cricket Academy, but the PCB, then headed by Ijaz Butt, denied making any such offer.