Sultan of betting? PCB threatens to reopen files of Wasim Akram's alleged role in match-fixing

Karachi: Irked by Wasim Akram questioning Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to form an inquiry committee on team’s disastrous show in Asia Cup, influential board official Shakil Sheikh on Tuesday threatened to open old files related to legendary fast bowler’s alleged involvement in match-fixing. “I don’t think Wasim is ‘King of Swing’. I think he is ‘King of Betting’. He should think before criticizing anyone because his past is known to all and old files in the board can be opened,” Sheikh, who is the head of PCB’s inquiry committee told Geo Super channel on Monday night. As far as old files are concerned, Sheikh was referring to report submitted by Justice Malik Qayyum on the match fixing inquiry at the start of the millennium. Sheikh, who also heads the Islamabad regional cricket association, made references to his name (Wasim) being linked to betting in cricket and in the Justice Malik Qayyum match-fixing inquiry. [caption id=“attachment_2665438” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File photo of Pakistan pace legend Wasim Akram.[/caption] Sheikh was upset with the remarks made by Akram recently at a press conference in which he questioned the purpose of the board appointing an inquiry committee on the eve of the ICC World T20 to probe into the national team’s poor performance in the Asia Cup. Akram also lamented the state of domestic cricket and stated that the person heading the domestic cricket committee — that is Sheikh — had not held a cricket bat properly in his life. In his rather strong comments, Akram was overall unhappy with the state of Pakistan cricket. Sheikh, who heads the inquiry committee of the PCB shot back at the former great and threatened to open old files about him in the board. He also accused Akram of using his mentor and former captain, Imran Khan to get coaching jobs in the IPL and alleged that the former captain secured sponsors himself and then pressurized the board into permitting him to hold fast bowling camps. He also claimed that he had played plenty of competitive cricket and once even hit Wasim for two sixes in a match in Islamabad. Wasim now spends most of his time as a cricket commentator and pundit on international channels or on the coaching panel of the Kolkata Knight Riders. He was also appointed Director of cricket of the Islamabad United team which went on to win the Pakistan Super League (PSL) title in the UAE. Sheikh, who is a member of the PCB’s board of governors, is known to use harsh words against former players in the past but failed to give a satisfactory answer when reminded that the same PCB had appointed Wasim as brand ambassador for PSL. PTI