Pakistan match-fixing claims: Yasir Hameed facing ACU interview over claims

The ACU detectives will be free to talk to Hameed as he is not part of the criminal investigation being carried out by Scotland Yard and it is likely he will be asked to explain comments made on film to an undercover reporter at the weekend during which he stated Pakistan were “fixing almost every match”.

Hameed’s comments added to the pressure around the Pakistan squad who are potentially facing the prospect of another player being charged by the ICC this week. It was revealed on Sunday that a fourth Pakistani cricketer was being investigated for match-fixing.



“We want to be prompt and decisive on this matter,” said Haroon Lorgat, the chief executive of the ICC. “It is not something we want to drag our heels on and as soon as we are in a position to make charges and disclosures we will do so.”

Hameed’s nickname within the Pakistan team is ‘Bacha’, which means child in Urdu, and his naivety in talking with such openness to a complete stranger just days after the story of spot-fixing during the Lord’s Test broke is startling.

“He (Hameed) is 30-31 but mentally he is 15-16,” said Shahid Afridi, the Pakistan one-day captain. “I don’t know who he was sitting with or in what situation he gave this message but we have know him for a long time. We know we can expect anything from him and he does this kind of thing. People know what type of character he is.”

Hameed, who played in the third and fourth Tests but is not in the one-day squad, was summoned to the Pakistan High Commission in London on Sunday for a meeting with Ijaz Butt, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board. Hameed later issued an affidavit through the High Commission claiming his comments to the News of the World were simply a repeat of the allegations made against Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir, and Mohammad Asif that had already been reported by the media. He claims he was duped into talking to the newspaper’s investigative journalist, Mazher Mahmood, believing him to be a sponsor offering a £50,000 deal with the airline Etihad.

He said two days later the same man called him and offered £25,000 to give a statement against the three players under investigation, which he refused.

Hameed then claimed to have received a text threatening to expose him drinking wine during the interview, a potentially damaging allegation against a Muslim during the month of Ramadan. The statement claims the text read: “Please call me. Incidentally you are in video drinking wine and saying all the quotes. Denying it is just stupid and we will be releasing the video to TV. Better that you just stand up and speak the truth.”

Hameed’s statement gave the mobile phone number which sent the message. When called, the number diverted to the Metropolitan Police adding to the sense of madness around this case.

Hameed is shown on the hidden camera speaking casually about the case against the Pakistan team but goes further claiming he lost his place in the team because he refused to become involved in match-fixing. “They offered me handsome money,” Hameed is shown saying. “I would’ve come to you in a Ferrari now. I mean there is enough so that your desires are fulfilled...buy a car, that is how much money they were giving. Man, they’ve offered big, big money. Up to £150,000” He said the approach was made during the Champions Trophy in 2004.

It is an offence under the ICC’s code of conduct for a player not to report a suspicious approach which would give the ACU enough reason to interview Hameed.

The idea of a match-fixing amnesty was put forward by the Professional Cricketers’ Association as a way of persuading more players to come forward with what could be valuable information.

“This is the kind of thing that we need to consider if what we are trying to do is to root things out properly,” said Angus Porter, chief executive of the PCA. “It is not a firm proposal, just a suggestion that somebody may wish to take up as something that might be necessary as a way of helping to sort out the problem.”

If Hameed is contacted by the ACU he may have to face an independent commissioner who the ICC plan to appoint to head what will be the biggest ever probe into corruption in cricket.