Former Pakistan Captain Inzamam-ul-Haq Says He is Hurt By The Match Fixing Allegations Made Against His Team

Pakistan's World Cup captain Inzamam-ul-Haq spoke on Monday of his hurt and the pressure on players when match-fixing allegations were made against them in the wake of their early exit from the tournament.
Inzamam and senior officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appeared on Monday before a standing committee on sports of the National Assembly in Islamabad in which reasons for the World Cup debacle and the board affairs were dissected.
"I told them of the hurt I have felt since these match-fixing allegations have been made. I told them don't expect the younger players to perform under such pressure," Inzamam told Reuters.
He said that Pakistan had played badly and lost and this was part of the sport.
"But coming up with such allegations which basically questions our patriotism is not on and not good for our cricket," he said.
Pakistan were bundled out of the World Cup after losing to West Indies and later Ireland. Coach Bob Woolmer died in Kingston, Jamaica less than 24 hours after the Irish defeat with police investigators treating his death as murder.
Former Test paceman Sarfraz Nawaz and others have cast doubts on the performance of the team against West Indies
Wasim Bari, former chief selector, defended the selection of the team for the World Cup and said the selectors could not be held responsible if the players did not perform to expectations.
Nasim Ashraf, the PCB chairman, was also grilled on the appointment of leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed as assistant coach of the team for the World Cup.
Mushtaq's appointment has been questioned as he was fined and named in the match-fixing inquiry carried out in Pakistan between 1998 and 2000.
Ashraf told the committee he had appointed Mushtaq on the recommendations of Woolmer and Inzamam.
Inzamam said he was not aware of the Justice Qayyum inquiry report saying that Mushtaq should not be appointed to any senior position or he would not have recommended him as assistant coach.
Ashraf told the committee that the board would be setting up a special commission of former test players to prepare a blueprint for bringing about improvement and consistency in Pakistan cricket.
He said the captain and coach would also be announced soon and the team's balance would be re-examined.
The board's ad-hoc committee meets in Lahore on Tuesday to discuss the future appointments of the Pakistan team.
Courtesy: CWCL