KARACHI, Aug 29: A former judge who reported on match-fixing allegations in Pakistani cricket ten years ago said on Sunday the current scandal had broken out because his recommendations were not put into practice.

“The latest shame fell on Pakistan only because my recommendations were not fully implemented,” Malik Mohammad Qayyum, a retired judge at the Lahore High Court, told AFP.

“Had my report on match-fixing been fully implemented, this latest episode would not have happened.”

Qayyum, who conducted a judicial inquiry into match-fixing allegations against Pakistan between September 1998 and May 2000, was referring to the latest match-fixing saga to hit the embattled national team.

“I suggested the Pakistan Cricket Board keep tight vigil on the players and recommended some of the players should not be given any responsibility in team matters, but some of them are still involved in the team’s coaching,” Qayyum said.

He said he recommended that players’ assets should be examined annually, but the Pakistan Cricket Board was not “strong enough” to implement this.

The Pakistani government ordered Qayyum’s inquiry after Australian cricketers Shane Warne, Tim May and Mark Waugh accused then Pakistan captain Salim Malik of offering them bribes to underperform during Australia’s 1994 tour of Pakistan.

The inquiry recommended bans on Malik and paceman Ata-ur-Rehman and fined six other players –– current coach Waqar Younis, plus Wasim Akram, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Saeed Anwar, Mushtaq Ahmed and Akram Raza.

“It took me two long years and I summoned some 52 players and officials, who all accepted match-fixing existed in cricket,” said Qayyum.

He said that the International Cricket Council (ICC) had said at that time it might terminate Pakistan’s membership.—AFP