Basit Ali reiterates fixing claims to PCB inquiry committee

Lahore: Pakistan’s former Test batsman Basit Ali today stuck to his earlier allegations that a match between Karachi and Sialkot in the recent National T20 Championship was fixed. Basit stuck to his claims when he appeared before the three-member inquiry tribunal at the Gaddafi Stadium here. The tribunal that includes the security manager of the Board, former Test players Shafiq Ahmed – who is also GM domestic cricket – and Ali Naqvi was formed by the PCB to probe into the allegations made by Basit recently. [caption id=“attachment_1407665” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Shoaib Malik has denied the fixing allegations. Getty Images[/caption] Pakistan all-rounder and captain of the Sialkot team, Shoaib Malik and other officials also appeared before the inquiry committee. “The committee asked me to furnish evidence that the match was fixed. But I have told them that even if hard evidence is not available as a former player one can sense when something is wrong in a match,” Basit told reporters after the hearing. “I told them that I had been first informed about the match being fixed by the coach of the Sialkot team Ejaz Ahmed jr who has also been called by the committee,” Basit said. The former Test player said he did not wish to harm Pakistan cricket but only wanted the truth to come out. “I felt something was not right in that match and when Ejaz also spoke on similar lines I had to speak out the truth,” Basit said. Malik has dismissed the claims by Basit and said in future the PCB needed to have strict laws to deal with such serious allegations that make a laughing stock of Pakistan cricket. “The PCB needs to have strong libel laws to deal with such allegations. If they are proven incorrect then strong action needs to be taken against the accuser,” Malik said. Karachi won the low scoring match as both teams crashed out of the semifinals of the National T20 event in Rawalpindi. PTI