Having already defending Pakistan’s national cricket side against match-fixing allegations by alluding to a larger conspiracy, PCB chairman Izjay Butt is now claiming Friday’s disputed 3rd one day international between Pakistan and England was the result of a tank job by the hosts. As opposed to, y’know, his own side trying to lose as well. From Sunday’s Guardian :
“There is loud and clear talk in the bookies circle that some English players were paid enormous amounts of money to lose the match,” Butt said. “No wonder there was total collapse of the English side.
“We won the match and we are under suspicion. England lost, their players should be investigated,” said Ijaz Butt. “You don’t lose a match if you are doing fixing. We have cooperated so far with all this investigation but after the third ODI we get this feeling it is not a conspiracy to defraud bookies but to defraud Pakistan cricket.”
There was no immediate comment from the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Pakistan’s Waqr Younis, meanwhile, has insisted that his team-mates have played to the best of their abilities despite the claims.
“I don’t know who is saying these things,” he said. “I think if somebody knew these things, they’d come and coach us on how to play like that.”