(Cricinfo) Pakistan opener, Yasir Hameed, has issued a denial of allegations in the News of the World that he turned down a bookmaker’s offer to help fix a Test for £100,000.
Hameed, who played in two of the recent Tests against England, allegedly told the newspaper “almost every match” has been fixed and slammed his team-mates’ actions. “They’ve been caught. Only the ones that get caught are branded crooks,” he reportedly told the newspaper. “They were doing it [fixing] in almost every match.
“God knows what they were up to. Scotland Yard was after them for ages,” he was quoted as saying. “It makes me angry because I’m playing my best and they are trying to lose.”
However, when contacted by Cricinfo, Hameed flatly denied the story. “I have never spoken to the NOTW and I haven’t said anything like this,” he said. “I have been fully concentrating on my career and nothing else.”
ICC sources close to the investigation confirmed to Cricinfo that they were unaware of any such approach made to Hameed, which would mean, if the allegations are true, the player himself would be in breach of the Anti-Corruption Code of Conduct for failing to follow the proper procedures.
Article 2.4.2 states it is an offence if a player fails “to disclose to the ACSU (without undue delay) full details of any approaches or invitations received by the Player or Player Support Personnel to engage in conduct that would amount to a breach of the Anti-Corruption Code.”
“They are not aware of anything like this happening,” Yawar Saeed, Pakistan’s manager, told Cricinfo. He also said that since the end of the Test series, Hameed had left the Pakistan squad, although it is understood that he is still in the UK, with the intention of returning to Pakistan within the next two days.
The allegation is one of a host of additional strands to the News of the World’s coverage of the match-fixing scandal, including the suggestion that the ICC are investigating an unnamed fourth Pakistan player.
Also revealed in an eight-page special produced by the newspaper, they outline the charge sheets against Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir who have been questioned by police twice this week since the initial story broke last weekend with the trio facing 23 charges between them.
And in relation to the Pakistan High Commissioner’s belief that the players were “set up” the News of the World will publish emails, receipts and CCTV evidence that prove the meetings between the undercover reporter and Mazhar Majeed were filmed before the Lord’s Test.
A Scotland Yard spokesman confirmed to Cricinfo that no new arrests have been made in relation to the ongoing case.
