KARACHI: All-rounder Shahid
Afridi Thursday urged Pakistan to savour their one-day and Twenty20 wins over
the West Indies and forget allegations of fixing.
Pakistan beat the West Indies 3-1 in the five-match one-day series, and clinched
both the Twenty20s on the tour which finished on Sunday.
But the wins were clouded by controversy after British newspaper The Mail on
Sunday claimed the one-day matches could be investigated by the sport’s
international anti-corruption unit.
Asked about the claims, Afridi said: “I don’t know about any allegations, but I
would say ‘Savour the win when you have done well and forget any other thing’.”
Team manager Naveed Cheema denied the allegations.
“These are baseless allegations and anyone can investigate,” said Cheema.
“The discipline of the players was exemplary and that showed on the results.”
Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal also urged people to give Pakistan credit.
“Sometimes they must appreciate us,” he said. “Why people take our wins lightly
and allege strongly is unfathomable.”
Pakistani cricket has an unenviable history of corruption and fixing. Three
international players served jail terms in England for arranging no-balls to
order during the Lord’s Test of 2010.
Afridi said Pakistan’s wins were much-needed after a lacklustre tour of South
Africa and a poor Champions Trophy performance earlier in the year.
Pakistan lost all three Tests and the one-day series 3-2 in South Africa.
They crashed out of the first round of the Trophy after losing all three group
matches.
“This win was very much needed after what happened in South Africa and England
and I am sure this will go a long way in improving the image of the team and the
players,” said Afridi, who became the first batsman to hit 400 international
sixes.
Pakistan next tour Zimbabwe in August where they play two T20s, three one-dayers
and two Tests.