Published: Sep 23, 2013, 06:33 PM (IST)
Edited: Sep 23, 2013, 06:33 PM (IST)
Asad Rauf was withdrawn by the ICC from the Champions Trophy © Getty Images
Karachi: Sep 23, 2013
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has no mechanism in place to “convince” retired Test umpire, Asad Rauf to go to Mumbai to face spot-fixing charges, an official said on Monday.
PCB’s legal advisor, Tafazzul Rizvi said that there was also no extradition treaty between Pakistan and India so the issue was a difficult one to respond if the Mumbai courts issued summons for Rauf to appear in person for examination.
“It is a difficult question to answer but one thing is clear that he is a retired umpire and this is a matter between him and the Mumbai police and the IPL and ICC. The PCB is not a party to this,” Rizvi told PTI.
“The PCB has no mechanism to force or convince him to go to Mumbai in case a summon are issued to him. One solution could be in existing situation that his statement is recorded in Pakistan,” he said.
Rauf, who was dropped from the Champions Trophy panel soon after his name emerged in the IPL spot-fixing, was later not retained on the ICC elite panel of umpires leading to his telling the media in Lahore that he had retired from his umpiring career.
Rauf was named as ‘wanted accused’ in the Mumbai Police’s IPL spot-fixing chargesheet last week and although he has remained underground in his hometown in Lahore, he has vehemently denied any involvement in fixing.
“Anyone can check my accounts and these allegations of me passing on information to anyone regarding matches is untrue,” Rauf said.
“I have consulted my lawyers and if the ICC anti-corruption unit has any questions to ask I am ready to respond to them,” he said.
But he said as far as the chargesheet of the Mumbai police is concerned his lawyers were looking into it.
Rauf also insisted the ICC didn’t remove him from the elite panel because of the IPL controversy but because his contract was over.
Rizvi said that so far neither the BCCI nor the IPL organisers had contacted the PCB on the issue.
“What I can tell is that under the ICC anti-corruption code if any person is required for questioning by them, he has to make himself available,” he said.
