'I was asked to fix games or see my career end,' claims Aaqib Javed
Former Pakistan pacer Aaqib Javed has levelled match-fixing allegations against former teammate Saleem Pervez.
The former speedster, whose career came to an abrupt end in 1998, identified Pervez as the person who introduced Pakistan cricketers to the bookies. He added that he was also approached for fixing a game and his refusal to do so led to the premature end of his career.
Aaqib Javed was quoted as saying by local Pakistan news channel Geo News last week:
"Lavish cars and millions of rupees were handed over to cricketers. I was also asked to fix matches and was told that if I did not comply, my career would be finished. Players were approached with match-fixing offers through a former cricketer named Saleem Pervez."
The former Pakistan fast bowler added:
"When I came to know about fixing, I took a strong stance and stood by it. I don’t regret the fact that it shortened my career as I strongly believe in my values. People tried to sideline me from tours because of my stance and would also reprimand those people who would talk to me."
My career ended prematurely because I spoke against match-fixing: Aaqib Javed
Back in May, Aaqib Javed, who turned out in 22 Tests and 163 ODIs for Pakistan, had also claimed that the primary den of match-fixing is in India. The 47-year-old was also one of the whistleblowers of the corruption scandal in Pakistan cricket in the 1990s and has openly addressed instances of match-fixing in the country.
Speaking about his career, Aaqib Javed said that he couldn’t make it back into the team because he blew the whistle on match-fixers.
“My career ended prematurely because I spoke against fixing. I was being threatened that I would be ripped to pieces. If you are vocal against fixing then you can only go to a certain extent in your career. This is why I was not able to become the head coach (of Pakistan).”
After making his debut in the 1988-89 season, Aaqib Javed became a part of the famous 1992 World Cup-winning squad under Imran Khan. He is currently the director of cricket operations and bowling consultant for Pakistan Super League (PSL) team Lahore Qalandars.