LAHORE, March 31: Pakistan cricket captain for the World Cup Inzamamul Haq on Saturday rejected allegations of match-fixing.

In a press conference here, he said it was ‘unfair’ to talk about match-fixing after the defeat to Ireland.

“The team over the past three and a half years had been playing and winning matches. There were no such comments. Now they are spreading such rumours,” he said, referring to comments by former players.

“The media did not provide the support and encouragement the players needed. They picked all sorts of stories after the defeat,” he said. “I was blamed for everything as if I was running the cricket board and dictating the selection committee.”

About his retirement from one-day cricket and relinquishing the captaincy, he said: “It was a difficult decision followed by a very difficult period in my cricket career.”

Taking responsibility for the loss, he said: “We did not perform well.”

Meanwhile, Pakistan Cricket Board chief Nasim Ashraf said at another press conference that two senior police officers would leave for Jamaica on Monday to join investigations into coach BobWoolmer's murder.

“I have no doubt that our players are innocent,” he said.

“We are thankful to the Jamaican prime minister who expedited clearance of the team.”

Mr Ashraf said he would represent ‘Pakistan and the PCB’ at Mr Woolmer’s funeral in South Africa on Wednesday.

The PCB had suspended the players’ contracts and new ‘performance-based’ deals would be signed within 90 days, he said.

He said a three-member committee of former cricketers had been set up to look into the World Cup failure.—AFP

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