LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday took a somersault to strongly dismiss the speculation over the board’s perceived ‘rejection’ of the infamous Justice Qayyum report .

It was only last week that PCB chairman Ehsan Mani had appointed former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram as a member of the newly-formed cricket committee which then drew queries from the media regarding Justice Qayyum’s remarks about Wasim in his report on match-fixing from the year 2000.

To that, Mani had stated that the Qayyum report is ‘inconclusive’. “How many people have read the Justice Qayyum Report?” Mani had asked at the Friday presser. “It is inconclusive as the Justice himself has said that he will give details in another report which has not come out as yet.”

However, a press release issued by the PCB on Tuesday said : “The work of Justice Qayyum is acknowledged and appreciated by PCB and there is no truth in the perception created by a few media publications that the report has been dismissed by the PCB.

“The Qayyum Commission report did not bar Wasim Akram from working for the betterment of cricket and for the PCB. The former captain has, since his retirement, established a reputation as a cricket commentator, coach and mentor all around the world and is widely acknowledged as a legend of the game. He has also worked on multiple occasions with the PCB and other Boards especially in fast bowling camps in Pakistan.

“Cricket Committee”: The cricket committee is a recommendatory body, empowered to make recommendations to the PCB on various aspects of the game. All committee members including Wasim have vowed to work together.

“The appointment of the cricket committee is aimed at improving the standard of the game at various levels. The aim of PCB is to benefit from the vast experience of former cricketers in managing the game and Wasim being an ICC Hall of Fame has the requisite expertise to help Pakistan cricket in its path to improvement.

“Meanwhile, the PCB maintains a zero tolerance policy on corruption and would continue to stay vigilant through its anti-corruption department at all levels of the game, both with players and officials,” it concluded.

It may be mentioned here that Justice Qayyum Commission, in its report on match-fixing, wrote about about Wasim Akram: “The evidence against Wasim Akram has not come up to the requisite level, primarily because of Ata-ur-Rehman’s perjuring himself. This Commission is willing to give him the benefit of doubt. However, there has been some evidence to cast doubt on his integrity. As such, this Commission recommends that he be removed from the captaincy of the Pakistan Cricket Team and a person of impeccable character be appointed. Moreover, he should be censured, kept under watch, and his finances should be investigated.”

The Qayyum Commission also fined Wasim Akram Rs300,000.

Later, however, Ata-ur-Rehman got an NOC from the PCB to take up some coaching assignments.

Moreover, the Qayyum Commission also recommended that “Ata-ur-Rehman is being proceeded against for perjury. Further, it is recommended that he be banned from international cricket.”

In his first statement to the Qayyum Commission Ata-ur-Rehman had admitted that Wasim had offered him USD100,000 for showing below par performance during a series against New Zealand.

However, he changed his stance in his second statement to say the incident did not happen.

Published in Dawn, October 31st, 2018