I should be hanged if match-fixing allegations against me can be proven: Basit Ali

[Savak]

I should be hanged if match-fixing allegations against me can be proven: Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali

TN Sports DeskTN Sports Desk

Updated May 03, 2020 | 20:53 IST

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has said he is ready to be hanged if match-fixing allegations against him can be proved by anyone.

Pakistan cricket has been marred with several match-fixing controversies, over the years. From the likes of Salman Butt to now Umar Akmal, several Pakistan cricketers have been proven guilty in cases related to fixing. Recently former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) CEO Arif Abbasi levelled match-fixing allegations against former cricketer Basit Ali.

Former PCB CEO Abbasi recently claimed that Ali had admitted to match-fixing in front of then team manager Intikhab Alam during Pakistan's tour of Sri Lanka in 1994. Ali has rubbished the allegations against him and stated that he is ready to die if he can be proven guilty in any court of the world. Pakistan had toured Sri Lanka in 1994 for a three-match Test series and five-match ODI rubber which they won 2-0 and 4-1 respectively.

Ali revealed he got a phone call from former Pakistan team manager Alam, who made it clear that he had nothing to do with the reports. He further said that he regards both Abbasi and Alam as his elders and is ready to be hanged if the allegations are proved against him.

"I got a phone call from Intikhab Alam and he told me that he has nothing to do with what's being associated with him in the media," Ali was quoted as saying by Geo Super TV.

"However, whether it's Arif Abbasi or someone else, if anyone can prove match-fixing against me in any court of the world, I should be hanged," he added.

Ali was one of the key members of the Pakistan side across formats in the 90s. He played 19 Tests and 50 ODIs for Pakistan between 1993 and 1996. He amassed 858 runs and 1265 runs in the two formats respectively. Ali was seen as a promising talent in the early days in his career but never managed to live up to the expectations of others.

Link: https://www.timesnownews.com/sports...en-former-pakistan-cricketer-basit-ali/586519

 

[msb314]

It seems like all hell has broken loose the last few days..

 

[Junaids]

From the Qayyum Report:

11. Further, when the commission pressed Rashid Latif to name the four players who were present when Salim Malik made him an offer before the Christchurch match, he did name them. They were according to him:



Waqar Younis,


Akram Raza,


Inzamam-ul-Haq.


Basit Ali.

The four players named by Rashid Latif were called. Three appeared. Basit Ali seemed to have been struck down with Jaundice. Arrangements were tried to be made for his statement to be recorded over the phone. However, those arrangements fell through.

PART V
INDIVIDUALS ALLEGEDLY INVOLVED IN MATCH-FIXING
EVIDENCE, VERDICT & REASONS

BASIT ALI



Intikhab Alam stated that when Pakistan played Australia in the Singer Trophy in Sri Lanka in 1993-94, they lost the game despite being in very good form. (This is the same match in which Saleem Pervez, in his statement says he paid Salim Malik (along with Mushtaq Ahmed) a sum of US$100,000 to drop the game.) Intikhab Alam says that after that match, when the team went to the hotel, he received a call from a caller who did not divulge his name but stated that he had lost Rs 40 lacs and that four to five players had sold themselves. He called Malik, Waqar Younis and Basit Ali to his room. While Malik and Waqar denied match-fixing, Basit said he had been involved.



This is confirmed in Intikhab Alam's tour report for the South Africa/ Zimbabwe 1994-95:


'Basit Ali is the only player in the Pakistan team who have [sic] made a confession that he has been involved in betting, his retirement from cricket is just to save himself.'


There is also the matter of the taped conversation between Salim Malik and Basit Ali and Rashid Latif. In it Basit complains to Salim that Wasim is here in town and he is putting allegations on me.



Basit Ali has been named as among those four players who were in the room when Rashid Latif was made an offer. Basit Ali was ill with Jaundice and therefore not available to confirm or deny this. Due to the deadline of the commission, this lead could not be followed.



Basit Ali denied having ever made a confession to Intikhab Alam. This plus the fact that Intikhab Alam was removed from the post of manager because of mismanagement and negligence in investigating the reports of match-fixing, there is insufficient evidence to find Basit Ali guilty of any sort of match-fixing.



Given that Basit retired and has distanced himself from Cricket, he is not even guilty of bringing the name of the Pakistan team into disrepute. This Commission therefore believes that no strong action needs to be taken against him. Basit has had the dignity and common sense to retire. He should be allowed to be, as long as he stays out of Cricket.

 

[Junaids]

One comment I really should make.

Those of us in England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the West Indies almost universally consider that the death penalty is a ludicrous and inherently evil thing which only primitive societies and uncivilized people support. (Yes, I know that the Americans retain it.)

When people like Basit Ali or Javed Miandad make reference to it like they have in recent weeks all they achieve is that they instantly convince us that they are uncivilized, uneducated and should not be listened to about anything. It's like an admission of being illiterate or stupid or both.

I really, really wish these people would just cut it out. They make themselves look like imbeciles.

 

[andy0204]

Another one bites the dust.

 

[MMHS]

I think, everyone is bored by now - needs a breather; otherwise it sounds like the g

 

[Thunderbolt14]

I think, everyone is bored by now - needs a breather; otherwise it sounds like the g

Looks like Basit wants the opposite

 

[Bezli]

Basit Ali is a honest man

 

[Junaids]

Basit Ali is a honest man

Was Basit Ali honest when he confessed to fixing the Singer Cup match in Colombo?

Was he honest when he confessed to being offered a bribe at Christchurch, which he failed to report?

Or is he just being honest now that he is no longer admitting to offences that he previously gave confessions for.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Was Basit Ali honest when he confessed to fixing the Singer Cup match in Colombo?

Was he honest when he confessed to being offered a bribe at Christchurch, which he failed to report?

Or is he just being honest now that he is no longer admitting to offences that he previously gave confessions for.

Also, he is the only man in Pakistan cricket who has ever come clean about his mistakes. For this reason I do believe he has some shred of honesty.

Also, to your last paragraph, the way I read it was that he feels guilty and believes he should have been punished. Might be wrong about this