Lahore: Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Zaka Ashraf clarified on Saturday that wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal has been included in the World Twenty20 squad after getting clearance by the ICC.
Kamran was recalled to the national team squad after being sidelined by the selectors and the board since the 2011 World Cup because of some of his suspicious performances.
“As for Kamran, the PCB approached the ICC and asked if it had any objection to his selection,” Ashraf said. “The council cleared him and PCB’s integrity committee followed suit.”
“Moreover, Pakistan badly needed a keeper who could also contribute with the bat.”
The board had convened a meeting of its integrity committee, which spoke to Kamran before clearing him for selection, Online reported.
Since 2010, suspicions have been raised over some of Kamran’s shoddy performances and he was also named during the spot-fixing trial last year in London in which Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamir and Mohammad Asif were later given different jail sentences for spot-fixing on the England tour in 2010.
Ashraf, who is clearly not in very good terms with his predecessor Ijaz Butt, said that despite ICC asking the former chief to take action against Salman Butt, Asif and Aamir, he did not do anything.
“The ICC had asked Ijaz to initiate action against Salman, Asif and Aamir in Pakistan for involvement in spot-fixing.
“Unfortunately, Butt did not do it and then the ICC had to take action that resulted in long term bans and embarrassment,” said Ashraf.
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