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SYDNEY, Jan 23: Pakistan's cricket management was furious on Friday after an Australian newspaper reported an allegation that one of their players raped a woman in a Melbourne hotel during their ongoing tour of Australia.
"We are here to play cricket and we do not want to do anything inappropriate," said Pakistan team manager Haroon Rashid, adding that the allegation in the Herald Sun was a massive slur on the players.
The Centre Against Sexual Assault in a Melbourne suburb told the newspaper that the alleged attack took place in a city hotel, but the woman was not yet prepared to make a complaint to police.
The attack was alleged to have taken place while the Pakistan team was in Melbourne for the Boxing Day Test against Australia. "We think it's rubbish," Pakistan Cricket Board spokesman Abbas Zaidi told AFP in Islamabad.
"It is something very intriguing that an incident that happened three or four weeks ago - with no lawyers hired and no police complaint made - has been reported in the media," he said.
"It is difficult to say what happened because there are no facts available to us in the matter, or to the team management. The team management has spoken to lawyers in Australia and are taking their advice.
"If, God forbid, this allegation is proved, the absolute strongest and harshest possible action will be taken," he added. The Pakistan team had been stunned by the allegations, said Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer in Sydney, where the team was training on Friday.
Woolmer said he had spoken to the players about the accusation during the training session at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday and all had expressed shock and surprise at the claims.
"Stunned really," Woolmer said, describing the players' reaction. "Personally I don't think anyone in the dressing room was involved." He said the allegations were being taken "very seriously" and were being "dealt with in-house". But he said he could not comment further until more information was available. "We don't know what the truth is or what has actually happened and until we find out I'm afraid we don't have much more to say at the moment," Woolmer said.
SHOAIB TO RETURN
KARACHI: Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar is to return from Australia and miss the remainder of the triangular one-day series to receive treatment on a hamstring injury, the PCB said on Saturday.
"Shoaib has no visible signs of making a rapid improvement from his injury despite taking injections and there were doubts if he would be able to play in the remaining matches of the one-day series," PCB spokesman Abbas Zaidi said on Saturday.
"He has been recalled so that he can start a rehabilitation process under the supervision of a medical panel. "We want him to be 100 per cent fit and firing on all cylinders for the Indian tour which is very important for us."
PCB CLARIFICATION
LAHORE: Reacting to reports regarding reasons for Shoaib Akhtar's return to Pakistan, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said that the decision to recall him was taken to enable him to achieve full fitness for the India tour.
According to a PCB press release issued on Saturday, the recall decision has nothing to do with uncorroborated and sensationalised reports about an incident in Melbourne.
According to another press release about a preliminary inquiry conducted by the team management into the incident reported in the Australian media, said although one month had passed since the alleged incident took place, no formal complaint had been lodged either with the police or with the female harassment centre against any member of the team.
In the absence of a formal complaint, it said there was no legal basis to press further, the charge. Legal opinion has been obtained through the Pakistan High Commission in Canberra and the team management on the uncorroborated and sensationalised reports by a small section of the Australian press.
Legal notices will be served for any defamatory reference to the team or to individual players regarding an incident that has no basis in law. Cricket Australia has also been informed of the developments.
It may be mentioned that the tabloid press across the world sometimes carried sensational stories about visiting sports stars to undermine their morale. On occasions some people in an attempt to get personal publicity and notoriety report events, which as in the present case, have no basis in law. -Agencies
