Some players deliberately underperformed in 2009 New Zealand series, reveals Naved

A number of senior players “deliberately under-performed” during Pakistan’s 2009 ODI series against New Zealand in the UAE because they were unhappy with Younis Khan’s captaincy, former pacer Rana Naved-ul-Hasan has alleged.

While speaking on a local news channel as quoted by cricketpakistan.com.pk, Naved said: “We lost two ODI matches against New Zealand in UAE during 2009 because some of the players involved deliberately did not play well, and I sat out that tour.”

“I did not play because I had told Younis Khan that this was the conspiracy against you and that I am also a part of that plot.

“This was not a rebellion against Younis Khan. He was a good cricketer and I did play alongside him so there were no issues except that when he became captain, he became a different person.

“Some seniors, and I won’t name names as they may have had aspirations of being captains themselves, got us involved in this whole affair as well to further their aims. We were about seven to eight people involved in this.”

He added that there were big names among those group of players who were against Younis.

“We were all called into a room and an oath of allegiance taken and the people in that room were some big names of Pakistan cricket. If I mention those names, then they will get angry with me,” said Naved who has played 9 Tests, 74 ODIs and 4 T20Is for Pakistan.

“They said we don’t want him to be removed but we would like the PCB Chairman to reason with Younis Khan as he does not take advice of seniors as captain and does what he feels like doing,” he added.

“I went along with this thinking that if this is the only matter and the PCB Chairman tells him that then I don’t have an issue with this,” he concluded.

Pakistan had lost the three-match ODI series 1-2, despite winning the first match in convincing fashion by 138 runs. They lost the remaining two matches by 64 and seven runs, respectively.

Meanwhile, tainted Pakistan fast-bowler Mohammad Asif has stated he still regrets how his career came to an abrupt end because of his actions.

Asif was banned for seven years for his role in the infamous 2010 spot-fixing scandal and he also served jail time in England after being found guilty along with former teammates Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir.

Asif has alleged that players have been fixing matches before him and even after his 2010 scandal but according to him, he wasn’t treated in the same manner as the other tainted players.

Players had been indulging in fixing before me and even after me. But those before me are working with PCB and there are few after me still playing,” Asif was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

“Everyone was given a second chance and there are few who never got the same treatment as me. PCB never tried to save me regardless of the fact that I am the kind of bowler who was highly regarded by everyone in the world.

“But anyway I’m not sitting around brooding about the past or hung up on it. What happened is history. However much I played in my career, I made it count, duniya hila ke rakh de thi (I shook up the world).”

In his glory days, Asif was regarded as one of the finest swing bowlers of the world. Such was his effect that top batsmen, who had faced him in his prime, still talk about Asif’s bowling abilities.

In his short 23-Test career, he scalped 106 wickets and at one point was the second-place holder in the ICC Test rankings for bowlers.

“Even today, so many years later, the best batsmen in the world still remember me and they talk about me,” he said.

Agencies