26 December 2004	Sunday	13 Ziqa'ad 1425

MELBOURNE, Dec 25: Former Pakistani Test star Sarfraz Nawaz said Saturday that match fixing was still rife in his homeland , sparking a sharp retort from national coach Bob Woolmer of the eve of the second Test against Australia.

Nawas told Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper the recent Test series between Pakistan and India, which India won 2-1, was corrupt "and everybody knows it".

"They're still doing it, in both Test and one-day cricket," he said.

The newspaper said Sarfraz volunteered the comments when he was contacted at home in the Pakistani city of Lahore for observations ahead of the second Test, which begins Sunday.

Woolmer, whose side is attempting to regroup after a mauling in the first Test, said his young charges were too idealistic and religious to be corrupted.

"Certainly there's no match-fixing going on as far as I'm concerned within my team," he said.

"They're a far too honest and religious bunch of people, who pray to Allah three, four times a day, that I don't think there's any chance of match-fixing going on within this team at all."

Woolmer said Sarfraz lacked any credible connections within the Test team and he should be prepared to back up his allegations.

"I've not seen him anywhere around Pakistan cricket, he has not been to any games," he said. "He's been known to make these sort of statements - if he knows something he must let us know and we'll deal with it."-AFP