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Summary
Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt on Sunday dismissed allegations of match-fixing against the national team players. He said that if any of his subordinates raises the issue of match-fixing, he is talking nonsense.In a leaked video recording of an inquiry committee hearing, Pakistan team coaches Intikhab Alam and Aqib Javed raised suspicions about the performance of wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal during the winless tour of Australia earlier this year.However, Butt said the International Cricket Council's Anti-Corruption Unit has strict security measures for all international matches. Nobody is allowed to enter into players' dressing room, only the manager carries a mobile phone with him during international matches and there are several other security measures which they take, Butt said. It's all media hype and nothing else.Butt said former captain Younis Khan's career was ruined by false match-fixing allegations when a parliamentarian accused Pakistan of throwing the semifinal of the Champions Trophy in South Africa last year.PCB fined and suspended seven cricketers including Younis on an inquiry committee recommendation for a lack of discipline and poor performance during the tour of Australia.Butt said he approved all the fines and suspensions. Six players have since appealed against suspensions and fines. He added that arbitrator Irfan Qadir will submit his report to the cricket board's governing body, which will take the final decision. Let the appeals be completed and I will not comment until we get the final report from the arbitrator.
