Imran Khan rejects calls for cricket ban

Imran Khan said Pakistan's cricket team has long been a target of British tabloids.

KARACHI: Imran Khan brushed aside calls to ban his Pakistan from international cricket until corruption allegations are investigated, saying a country cannot be punished collectively.
Former England captains Ian Botham and Michael Vaughan had demanded for Pakistan to be kicked out of international cricket until a probe into their cricketers has been completed.
Their calls followed allegations of spot-fixing against Pakistani cricketers during their ongoing tour of England, which triggered a war of words between cricket officials from the two countries.
Former Pakistan cricket captain Khan said a country cannot be thrown out on the basis of allegations.
“In any form of illegal activity you cannot give collective punishment to a country and deprive millions of fans, more so because these are still allegations yet to be
proven,” Khan told AFP.
The police completed an initial report and prosecutors are deciding whether to press charges. Khan said the only evidence comes from a newspaper report and its footage.
“The only evidence is that of News of the World footage showing someone (alleged bookie Mazhar Majeed) with money to be given to the players, and on that basis you cannot punish a country,” said Khan.
He said the whole issue should be dealt handled with common sense and urged all parties to refrain from making “inappropriate statements”, referring to comments made by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt.
Butt accused England players of match-fixing in the third one-dayer across London at The Oval on Friday.
“Butt was wrong in levelling allegations,” said Khan. “Even if any other team is involved that does not absolve you.”
Khan said Pakistan’s cricket team has long been a target of British tabloids.
“Remember they called Wasim Akram and Waqar Younus cheats for ball-tampering when they destroyed England on the 1992 tour and when England won the Ashes series in 2005 the reverse swing became an art and skill.”
“There are double standards,” said Khan. “When England had fast bowlers there were no curbs on fast bowling but when the West Indies had a battery of fast bowlers it became a threat and so many curbs were put against fast bowlers like restriction on bouncers etcetera.”
Khan stressed Pakistani cricket “has to put its house in order” adding that, “there should no longer be a PCB chairman nominated by President of Pakistan who is not accountable to anyone.”