Pakistan’s cricket chief Ijaz Butt, who accused England players of match-fixing after his own side were embroiled in scandal, said on Wednesday such allegations were “not confined to any single country”.
Butt provoked a storm of controversy when he alleged England players were involved in corruption during a one-day match against Pakistan at The Oval last month.
He was quoted by television channels as saying: “There is loud and clear talk in bookie circles that some English players have taken enormous amounts of money to lose the match.”
Earlier during the tour three Pakistan players had been suspended on charges of corruption.
Test captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer were provisionally suspended by International Cricket Council (ICC) following newspaper reports that they took money to deliberately bowl no-balls during the Lord’s Test against England in August.
Police at Scotland Yard have yet to charge the players but the ICC has set October 30 and 31 to hear their appeals against suspension.
After England players and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) threatened Butt with legal action, he withdrew his claims during a visit to England.
But as he returned to Pakistan on Wednesday he said the problem of corruption allegations was not confined to his country.
He said all match-fixing allegations must be fully probed.
“The point which I have sought to make from the beginning was that the world of cricket is reeling from a storm of allegations and rumours, and these must be addressed.
“Many of these recent allegations have concerned the Pakistan cricket team, and these must and will be properly investigated,” Butt said in a statement released by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
“But, and this was my point, the problem, and the rumours, are not confined to any single country.
“Those of us who care about the state of cricket in the world today will not flinch from a thorough, uncompromising investigation of any such allegations and rumours, whether they concern Pakistan or any other cricketing nation.”
Butt claimed his tour to England had a positive effect, and had allowed him “to correct any misunderstandings which may have arisen.
“In particular, I was happy to correct the misunderstanding that I, or anyone at the PCB had made any allegations about members of the England cricket team,” he said.
Butt said he never said he had any evidence against England players.
“I say again, we at the PCB have no specific evidence of any wrongdoing by cricketers from England. Our priority and our responsibility must be the actions of the Pakistan team. These are quite properly subject now to an investigation by both Scotland Yard and the ICC.”
Butt said the PCB was ready to co-operate with the investigations.
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