LONDON: Former Pakistan fast bowler Sarfraz Nawaz says his new autobiography will shed light on alleged match-fixing, betting and dressing-room politics that he believes have affected Pakistani cricket over the years.
Nawaz, regarded as one of the leading fast bowlers of his era and widely credited with pioneering the use of reverse swing, is due to launch his book at Lord’s in London on Thursday.
Speaking to BBC Urdu in London, Nawaz said the book would discuss how players allegedly undermined one another, attempts to remove captains and the gradual emergence of betting in Pakistani cricket.
He said the autobiography also refers to reports and inquiries into alleged corruption, including a report prepared under Justice Faqir Muhammad Yousaf and the Justice Malik Muhammad Qayyum commission. It also discusses allegations made against former Pakistan captains and statements by various individuals, he said.
Nawaz said he had written to Pakistan’s prime minister, president, chief justice and army chief in the past, seeking action over what he described as alleged corruption in cricket.
He also recalled meeting Britain’s National Crime Agency twice during previous stays in London and said he had received special security monitoring at the time.
Allegations of betting in Sharjah
Nawaz also spoke about alleged betting in Sharjah and referred to an International Cricket Council investigation conducted in the early 2000s.
The inquiry was led by former Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Paul Condon and examined allegations of corruption in international cricket.
Nawaz said his roughly 100-page book documented what he believed had happened and how it happened. He also referred to the subsequent restrictions imposed on Sharjah cricket.
Corruption in cricket was no secret, Nawaz said, pointing to the cases involving former Pakistan players Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, who were convicted and jailed in Britain after being found guilty of spot-fixing-related offences in 2011.
Friendship with Imran Khan
Nawaz also discussed his long association with former Pakistan captain and prime minister Imran Khan.
He recalled Khan’s return to international cricket in 1974 and said the two formed Pakistan’s leading fast-bowling partnership until 1984.
Nawaz said other fast bowlers, including Asif Masood, Saleem Altaf and Sikander Bakht, were also part of the team during that period, but he and Khan bowled the most.
He described Khan as an intelligent cricketer who trusted him on the field and said the two had a close friendship.
International career
Nawaz represented Pakistan from 1969 to 1984, taking 177 wickets in 55 Test matches and 63 wickets in 45 one-day internationals.
He recalled playing street cricket as a child in Lahore’s Mozang neighbourhood before becoming involved in his father’s construction business.
According to Nawaz, the 1965 India-Pakistan war disrupted funding for the construction sector, prompting him to focus more seriously on cricket.
He said he later gained admission to Government College Lahore because of his cricketing ability.
Entry into politics
Nawaz also entered Pakistani politics after retiring from international cricket.
He said he announced his retirement in Lahore in 1984 after his final Test, in which he took seven wickets and scored 90 runs in an innings.
He then announced plans to enter politics and contest an election from Lahore, saying he wanted to address what he viewed as injustices in cricket.
Nawaz has been associated with several major Pakistani political parties over the years, including the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Peoples Party and Muttahida Qaumi Movement.
He said he had hoped that entering politics and winning an election would eventually allow him to take a senior position in the Pakistan Cricket Board, but he became disappointed with the experience.
