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Police to question Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz

ISLAMABAD — The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board said Thursday fast bowler Wahab Riaz will appear before Scotland Yard police next week in relation to match-fixing allegations.

Ijaz Butt said the left-arm paceman will be interrogated by police on Tuesday.

‘They want to question Wahab Riaz and we have set the date for it,’ Butt told reporters in Lahore.

Riaz will be the fourth Pakistani player to be questioned by police. Test captain Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were questioned by Scotland Yard for nine hours last month after a British tabloid accused the trio of accepting money in return for ensuring three deliberate no-balls were bowled during the Lord’s test against England.

They have been provisionally suspended by the International Cricket Council, and have been given 14 days to respond to the charges against them.

Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed, who is preparing his team for the one-day series against England, was unaware about Riaz’s appointment with Scotland Yard.

‘I have not heard anything about that. I am sure they (the PCB) will tell me if this is true,’ Saeed said on Thursday.

Pakistan faces England in the first of five one-day matches in Durham next Friday, and Saeed said Riaz would still be considered for selection unless he is told otherwise.

‘Unless he’s dropped, he will play,’ he said. ‘I’ve not been told anything. Let’s wait. It’s been a hard time. But we will do our best and continue to do our best.’

Butt said that police were yet to share any ‘incriminating material with the PCB’ regarding their investigation.

‘They have not charged any of our players and I would like the suspended players to travel back to Pakistan within the next few days,’ Butt said.

The PCB chairman admitted that during the police search of players’ rooms in the aftermath of the newspaper allegations, 2,500 pounds ($3,850) were found in Salman Butt’s room and 1,500 pounds ($2,300) in Amir’s room.

But he said Salman Butt was paid the money by his agent as an advance for making an appearance at the opening of an ice cream parlor in England.

‘The deal was of 5,000 pounds and Salman got half of the amount as an advance,’ Butt said.

Butt said that Amir had already declared that he had 1,500 pounds in his possession, but did not elaborate on where the money came from.

Butt also confirmed that captain Salman Butt and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal have been questioned by the ICC before.

Scotland Yard and the ICC’s anti-corruption unit are carrying out parallel investigations into the allegations of match-fixing against the Pakistani cricketers.

However, Butt claimed that Scotland Yard had told the ICC to wait until the police investigation was completed before beginning its own inquiry.

‘Scotland Yard had written to the ICC to say that there can’t be a parallel investigation and you should not do this,’ Butt said.

Meanwhile, the PCB is asking all player agents to get clearance from the cricket board before Sept. 30.

‘No Pakistani cricketer who is selected for any squad for local and international teams will be allowed to engage any agent/manager without the prior written approval of the PCB,’ the cricket board said in a statement.

‘Failure to comply ... will result in the player being declared ineligible for selection in any of the domestic or international cricketing events under the control of the PCB.’

The agents should clearly identify which player they wish to work with and should also provide background data and terms of contract with players to the PCB.

‘In case the player’s agent is not a Pakistan national, the PCB will ask the relevant high commissioner/ambassador of Pakistan to which the agent belongs for their checking and approval.

‘In case of agent/manager based in Pakistan local law enforcement authority will provide clearance of said the agent/manager.’