Intervention saves Pak cricket players from sting operation

LONDON: Pakistani cricket was saved from a potentially embarrassing situation by the timely intervention of some senior PCB officials after gathering reports that a sting operation on players may be set up by some rogue elements posing themselves as “community workers raising charitable funds”.

Senior officials within the PCB have confirmed that the PCB management on tour broke rules of the game by allowing Pakistani players to mix with anyone they wished during their current tour of England.

The situation became so bad that reports of indiscipline and mismanagement reached Pakistan and sources told the PCB management in Pakistan that there were genuine fears that Pakistani players could be trapped in another big scandal.

The insider said that Najam Sethi, Chairman PCB Executive Committee, immediately flew to London a few days ago and talked firmly with PCB officials and told them about the severity of the matter. Sethi made it clear to the PCB officials that they will be held responsible if anything went wrong.

Sources have confirmed that during the Manchester Test the PCB officials learnt how some players were missing from their rooms after curfew hours and some didn’t answer their calls but no action was taken and a very easy approach was adopted.

They also allowed players’ families to extend their stay  with the players, an unprecedented step. The players were allowed to attend at least three dinners where “some” players were paid “fees” for their attendance. Footage of the players attending these parties was aired on many televisions and according to the PCB’s own rules the players should have been in their rooms at that time.

The News understands that one of the dinners in Manchester was attended by an individual who has been linked with bookies in the past and who remains under the scanner of the officials in Britain.

One of the dinner events held in London – to purportedly raise charity funds - had links with a British Pakistani who has been linked with Bob Woolmer’s death as he was present in the hotel when the former player and coach was found dead.

The said individual, who owns two night clubs in London, fled the country and refused to answer questions of the Bob Woolmer’s death inquest. He is known to have good ties with at least two senior officials linked with the PCB.

Pakistani players at these events were seen mixing with dozens of people and there was no security of the PCB around and no vetting was carried out as to who was organising the event and what were the ultimate aims.

An insider told The News that a PCB official brought his family to the hotel where the players were staying and asked one of the players to vacate his room and share occupancy with another player so that his family could use his room.

The PCB management on tour saw this and took no action even though this was against the rules. Some players were seen coming late to their rooms after meeting individuals about whom the PCB management had no idea.

A PCB internal inquiry found that a foundation sold tickets and raised thousands of Pounds – promising meet and greet with the test squad led by Misbah - with full knowledge of the management who didn’t bother to ask questions about the people who were involved in organising the fundraiser and the very basic fact that the fundraiser was happening in the middle of the highly important Oval Test – which Pakistan has now won.

A spokesman of the foundation said that it printed pictures – and raised thousands of Pounds – in the name of current team players after the PCB agreed to it and didn’t raise any objection despite knowing that the fundraiser was going to happen in the middle of the Oval test (Saturday night, 13 august).

When the PCB finally took action and banned players from attending a dinner it became a mini-scandal but sources said that there were intelligence reports that some people linked with the dinner had their “ulterior motives in hijacking the presence of Pakistani players to their ends”.

A PCB spokesman said that lessons have been learnt and it will be ensured that the players are allowed to attend events which are vetted. The spokesman said that players during the matches will not be allowed to entertain anyone in any manner.