Cricket: Wasim resigns to clear name

WASIM AKRAM has resigned from the international arena in an effort to clear his name over match fixing allegations. The outgoing Pakistan and Lancashire captain has not ruled out a return to the world stage in the future, but said it may be two or three years before the issue is resolved.

Wasim has criticised the Pakistan Cricket Board's chief executive, Majid Khan, for his role in events and said yesterday: "It's a conspiracy, especially within the board."

The player said he has now ruled himself out of the Tests against Australia later this year and added he has employed a former judge from Karachi to help him clear his name. "Unfortunately, I have had to leave cricket because it might take two or three years to get through this," he said. "When allegations arise you need to fight it out. You can't just sit back. I would love to carry on but I simply can't. But I'm happy because I know that I have done nothing wrong."

The International Cricket Council revealed last week that Wasim, Salim Malik and Ijaz Ahmed had been implicated in match-fixing allegations and were being investigated by the PCB. An interim report by the Board found the three players responsible for match fixing and recommended they be banned from Tests until further investigations were completed. However, Salim and Ijaz were selected to play for Pakistan in the Sahara Cup series against India currently underway in Canada.

A furious Wasim said the first he heard of the allegations was on Teletext. "No one told me about it and then everything was immediately denied by the board. If there's evidence that I've been involved, they should come out and fight it in court," Wasim said. "I think it is all to do with jealousy. People begrudge me because I am earning millions and they are not.

"But they're all getting at me in particular. They don't seem to realise it takes six, seven or eight people from a team to rig a match."

Wasim has continued to play for Lancashire, who have already won two limited-overs titles this season and are still in contention for the Championship.

Meanwhile, Northamptonshire defended their decision to play their Championship match against Sussex last week on a pitch that was subsequently deemed unfit and cost them 25 points.

The chief executive, Steve Coverdale, said his club were disappointed with the panel's conclusion but accepted the verdict. "John Emburey [the head coach] made an honest and quite proper decision that of those available it was the pitch of the best standard for that game," he said.