PCB anger at latest investigation

The PCB has expressed its anger at the ICC's handling of the latest allegations of spot-fixing in the third ODI between England and Pakistan at The Oval. The ICC launched an investigation into the match after receiving information from a newspaper prior to the start alleging that bookmakers were aware of some of the scoring patterns that occurred during the play. In a strongly-worded statement the PCB claimed it was not informed of the ICC's decision and only learnt of the investigation through the media

As the story emerged through the day and the ICC announced that it would launch into an investigation into these allegations, it became clear that the Pakistan board had not been informed by the ICC; initially the board chairman Ijaz Butt, the captain Shahid Afridi and team manager Yawar Saeed refused to comment on the story because, they said, they had not been informed of the details. Butt flew to Dubai from Delhi on Saturday, though it is unclear whether he has met with the ICC.

This isn't the first time the PCB has disagreed with the ICC since the controversy began during the Lord's Test last month. The ICC's decision to suspend Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir - the three players at the centre of the initial spot-fixing controversy - was criticised as being hasty with investigations still underway. At a press conference in Lahore, Butt said both the board and Scotland Yard felt the police investigations should have been completed before the ICC began its own inquiry.


The two clashed last year when the ICC took the decision to strip Pakistan of its rights to host the 2011 World Cup in the aftermath of the Lahore terror attacks and the PCB reacted by sending a legal notice. The dispute was ultimately resolved.