PCB remained inactive after Woolmer died: Former Pak cricketer

Former Pakistan cricket captain Zaheer Abbas on Friday alleged Pakistan Cricket Board of inaction, as the players have been held back in West Indies after it was confirmed that Pakistan cricket team coach Bob Woolmer was murdered.

Abbas said, while it was fine to let investigations to take their course, the Board should have shown concern from its side for its players.

"If police wanted to inquire something then its ok, they have right to stop anybody. I think it's quite reasonable but in my opinion the board should have send some judges or some policemen to go and look after what is happening over there. At least they should be a part of it," he told ANI here today.

The Pakistani players were to leave the Caribbean on March 22 after their World Cup campaign was shockingly cut down by loss to minnows Ireland. But they were held back to help investigations into Woolmer's murder.

Jamaican police said Woolmer had been strangled in his hotel room at the World Cup, immediately raising the issues of match-fixing and bribery which have dogged the sport in recent years.

The betting mafia, which has beleaguered the game since 2000, has continued to rock the cricket fraternity.

Former member of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Venkat Sundaran is of the opinion that International Cricket Council has not done enough to tackle the menace.

"I don't think this issue has been seriously addressed. I think the ICC need to not leave it to one committee or a person. This has to be tackled at a much higher level and I do not think the ICC International Cricket Council is competent enough to tackle this menace. I think it has gone beyond ICC now. You are now entering into the realm of underworld, mafia, syndicates and things like that.," said Sundaran.

Woolmer's is suspected to have been murdered by his enemies of the betting mafia, as he was supposed to come out with a book and reveal some dark secrets of betting mafia in the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Sundaran, however, said the notion had come up only because of a hyper-active media.

"I think the other countries are also very cricket crazy and they also have a lot of followers of the game. I think the pressures on an international coach are there, whether it is Indian or any other country. And they will continue because these are high profile jobs and when you are in a high-profile assignment you are bound to be the cynosure of all eyes, and everything you say and everything you do will be questioned," he said.

The betting scandal reared its head again in January.

Mumbai police alleged that West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels pass confidential team information to an illegal bookmaker during the recent Nagpur ODI against India.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) anti-corruption wing is presently investigating the case. (ANI)

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