"If you want evidence I will give it" - Basit Ali stokes controversy with match-fixing remark in recent video
Former Pakistan batter Basit Ali has sparked a controversy by leveling match-fixing allegations against a 'mentor' of the Champions One-Day Cup. He claimed that he possessed evidence of a particular player deliberately losing a match and added he should not have been appointed a mentor.
Sarfaraz Ahmed, Waqar Younis, Saqlain Mushtaq, Shoaib Malik, and Misbah-ul-Haq were named mentors for Pakistan's Champions One-Day Cup tournament, which began on September 12 and will conclude on September 29.
Meanwhile, in a clip going viral on social media, Basit is heard saying that someone who has admitted to losing a match cannot be a mentor.
"The one who doesn't think about the country, should not be appointed. The one who has admitted that he has deliberately lost a match, should not be the mentor. If you want evidence I will give it," he is heard commenting in the video.
"Ramiz Raja Saheb interviewed Shoaib Malik. What did he say?" the 53-year-old went on to add.
Watch video below
While the former Pakistan batter has taken Malik's name towards the end of the video, it cannot be ascertained from his statement which mentor he was placing the accusation on.
Speaking of the Champions One-Day Cup, Markhors beat Panthers by 160 runs in the first match of the tournament at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad. Sent into bat, Markhors posted 347-6 in their 50 overs, with Kamran Ghulam hammering 115 off 102 balls. Abdul Samad chipped in with 62 off 25, while Iftikhar Ahmed contributed 57* off 44. In response, the Panthers were all out for 187 in 34.5 overs.
Basit Ali recently lashed out at PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi
Basit has been extremely critical in his assessment of Pakistan cricket over the last few days. Speaking on his YouTube channel, he recently lashed out at PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, questioning the manner of his functioning.
While sharing his views on the downfall of Pakistan cricket, the former batter said:
"Mohsin Naqvi, please open your eyes. You say that you will fix Pakistan's cricket, but it cannot happen like this. It is the bitter truth. People criticize me when I speak about Yasir Shah. Now, Ravichandran Ashwin has said the same thing, expressing surprise over the dearth of spinners in Pakistan. I may be wrong, but is Ashwin also wrong?
"Even Sourav Ganguly spoke about how Pakistan cricket has deteriorated. The promises made to fix Pakistan's cricket are nothing but gimmicks," he added.
A highly-rated batting talent, Basit failed to live up to his potential. He played 19 Tests and 50 ODIs, scoring 858 and 1265 runs, respectively.