LAHORE: Former Test fast bowler Sarfraz Nawaz, bitterly disappointed with the attitude of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC), has now approached England’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to take his voice and evidences seriously against gambling, betting and match-fixing in Pakistan cricket.

Sarfraz also appealed to the NCA, which is already involved in the inquiry of the spot-fixing scam reported during the second edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL) held earlier this year, to provide him protection as well as to his family members as he has been receiving threats for raising his voice against the corrupt practices in cricket.

The former Test fast bowler is now awaiting response from the NCA on the letter written by him on May 15. He has also sent a copy of his letter to the ICC, despite expressing his reservations against the game’s governing body over its lukewarm response to corrupt practices in the sport.

‘I had been receiving threats to my life but now I am also receiving similar threats for my family including my wife and two sons’

“There were irregularities in the first edition of PSL, which was pointed out by Mr Ravi Bopara [England Test cricketer] who was playing for Karachi Kings team and as a result of which Mr Shoaib Malik, then captain of Karachi Kings, had to step down,” Sarfraz wrote in his letter to the NCA.

“Though I had been pointing out the above through my interviews on electronic and print media and also by sending letters to all high-ups of the PCB including its chairman and patron-in-chief [prime minister of Pakistan], but no action to stop this gambling, betting and match fixing was taken by anyone,” he wrote further.

“Furthermore, despite pointing out the names of the individuals involved in match fixing, those who have also been named by the Judicial Commission of Justice Malik Abdul Qayyum in the 1999 World Cup, no formal inquiry or action has been taken against any of these traitors,” he wrote.

“Some of my correspondence with various authorities in Pakistan and abroad including Dave Richardson, Chief Executive ICC, are enclosed for ready reference,” Sarfraz said in his letter to the NCA.

He further went on to say that a very important document in this contest: “is the Report of Commission of inquiry comprising Mr. George Staple, Mr Clive Lloyd and Brigadier Al Mualla, which is an official and confidential document of the ICC and needs to be referred to in the context of this complaint.”

“Furthermore, it would also be most important to mention here that in my interview published in the News of the World of June 3, 2001, I had very specifically pointed out the gambling and match-fixing in particular context of the kidnapping of Wasim Akram’s dad but unfortunately it also went unnoticed by the ICC,” he said.

Sarfraz while mentioning the threats to his and his family’s life also wrote in the letter: “The things have now gone more serious, as in the past I had been receiving threats to my life but now I am also receiving similar threats for my family including my wife and two sons.

“I believe that neither I am safe nor my family and if no official security is provided to us, our lives are in danger,” the ex-cricketer wrote in the letter. I have even got a FIR registered in Police Station, Section I-9, Islamabad about these threats but no solid action has been taken by the authorities.

“I therefore look forward for an immediate action as it would not only save the game of cricket in Pakistan but the lives of me and my family. May I also request your honour to kindly spare some time and to allow me a personal appearance before your office, so that I may explain further on the subject matter,” Sarfraz concluded.

Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2017