Latest news with #RashidLatif
Business Upturn
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Business Upturn
'Will reveal everything about match-fixing,' ex-Pak cricketer Rashid Latif threatens to expose Wasim Akram, Salim Malik, Ata-ur-Rehman, Sharjeel Khan and more from 90s scandal
By Aditya Bhagchandani Published on April 21, 2025, 12:51 IST Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif, long regarded as one of the first whistleblowers in the murky world of cricket match-fixing, has confirmed he is writing a book that will expose 'everything' about the scandals that rocked Pakistan cricket in the 1990s. Latif, who abruptly retired during the 1994 Zimbabwe tour alongside Basit Ali, stated in an interview with Geo TV that his upcoming biography will 'open everyone's eyes.' 'I can assure you I will reveal everything as it happened,' Latif declared, adding that work on the book has already begun. Match-Fixing: The Scandal That Shook a Nation Latif was at the heart of Pakistan cricket's most controversial phase, when rampant allegations of match-fixing led to the formation of the Justice Qayyum Commission. The inquiry exposed troubling connections between cricketers and bookies, implicating several stars, although many escaped with minor consequences or warnings. The scandal didn't spare high-profile players either. Cricketers such as Salim Malik, Ata-ur-Rehman, Sharjeel Khan, Danish Kaneria, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif, and Salman Butt have either faced bans or been questioned in match-fixing investigations. Even the legendary Wasim Akram's name surfaced in the Qayyum report, though he never faced a formal ban. A History of Incomplete Truths? Latif has often spoken out on corruption in cricket, notably stating as far back as 1997 that 'something was rotten in subcontinental cricket.' His accusations helped launch the Qayyum Commission, which did expose some wrongdoing, but failed to fully cleanse the system. In a striking revelation, Latif also mentioned his willingness to testify before the King Commission about the 1995 Mandela Trophy final, which he claims was 'fixed.' These claims add to a long history of former Pakistani cricketers alleging wrongdoing without full public disclosures. Will This Book Be Any Different? Over the years, multiple ex-players have promised to reveal the truth about match-fixing but never followed through completely. With Rashid Latif now vowing to name names and present first-hand details, his book may finally offer the inside story cricket fans have long speculated about — unless history repeats itself again. As the cricketing world waits with bated breath, one question looms: Will Rashid Latif truly expose the darkest secrets of Pakistan cricket this time? Aditya Bhagchandani serves as the Senior Editor and Writer at Business Upturn, where he leads coverage across the Business, Finance, Corporate, and Stock Market segments. With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to journalistic integrity, he not only contributes insightful articles but also oversees editorial direction for the reporting team.
Express Tribune
05-03-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Rashid Latif calls to keep 90s players 'away' from Pak cricket
Former wicketkeeper-batter Rashid Latif believes that Pakistan struggled to win tournament due to 90s players. Photo: AFP/File Former captain Rashid Latif has demanded to keep 90s cricketers, especially the 1992 World Cup-winning squad, away from Pakistan cricket. The former wicketkeeper batter, while speaking in an interview, Pakistan's inability to win ICC titles consistently. Latif, in response, gave a shocking suggestion that the former cricketers from the 90s should be kept away from both management and the team. "It took 17 years [for Pakistan to win another World Cup] because the 90s players did not spare Pakistan cricket," said Latif. "Keep 90s players away from management and from the team as well then they will try to win. "They have been serving Pakistan cricket for so long now. So, I think, they should rest now." Rashid Latif's remarks came just days after hosts and defending champions Pakistan were knocked out of the ongoing ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025, just five days after the commencement of the tournament. The green shirts kicked off their defence against New Zealand in the opening match of the tournament on February 19 in Karachi and suffered a 60-run defeat. Pakistan then suffered a six-wicket drubbing at the hands of arch-rivals India, inspired by a combined bowling effort and star batter Virat Kohli's masterful century. Their last match was washed out against Bangladesh Disappointed captaincy Former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir shared his disbelief over a dip in wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan's decision-making skills as the captain. Amir revealed that he admired the wicketkeeper batter's captaincy during domestic cricket and the Pakistan Super League (PSL) but noted a change in his decision-making skills which makes his choices 'unusual'. "Mohammad Rizwan You've gone from a Ferrari to a rickshaw now (laughs). At one point, I admired him because he had experience captaining domestic cricket and the PSL, where he led his team to the finals," he said when asked about Rizwan's captaincy. "His decision-making changed completely. I'm not sure what caused this shift since I haven't been in the dressing room with him during that period. His choices now seem unusual," he added. The left-arm pacer further shared that he anticipated Rizwan to bring a positive change in the team with his leadership and dismissed the notion that the captain has no authority over the selection of the players. "It seemed he would bring about positive changes. However, within a few months, it felt like he had drifted away from the cricketing mindset," he said. "If Rizwan claims he had no authority over selections, that's not entirely true. The same influence that helped him become captain could have been used to shape the team, but he didn't take that step. I don't understand why," Mohammad Amir concluded.
Express Tribune
04-03-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Shadab or Salman Agha? Who will be Pakistan's new T20I captain?
Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has shared his predictions for the national squad ahead of the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) official announcement for the upcoming limited-overs tour of New Zealand. The squad for five T20Is and three ODIs will be unveiled on Tuesday during a media conference at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, where interim head coach Aqib Javed will reveal the selected players. The PCB has confirmed that the event will be live-streamed on its official YouTube and Facebook channels. Former cricketer Rashid Latif has revealed his squad for the five-match T20I series, excluding Babar Azam and Naseem Shah. He also predicted that Shadab Khan will captain the Pakistan side for the T20I series against New Zealand. His predicted squad includes a mix of experienced players and emerging talents such as Mohammad Haris, Sufyan Muqeem, Irfan Khan Niazi, Shaheen Afridi, Abbas Afridi, Jahandad Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Umair Bin Yousuf, Khushdil Shah, Hassan Nawaz, Abdul Samad, Haris Rauf, Usman Khan, Hussain Talat, and Mohammad Ali. However, he also suggested that the PCB may consider appointing Salman Ali Agha as T20I captain to avoid any controversy. For the ODI series, Latif believes the squad will be led by a coaching staff comprising Aqib Javed as head coach, Mohammad Yousuf as batting coach, Azhar Mehmood as bowling coach, and Mohammad Masroor as fielding coach. He predicts that the squad will feature Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Tayyab Tahir, Irfan Khan, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Akif Javed, Mohammad Ali, Abrar Ahmed, Sufyan Muqeem, and Faheem Ashraf. With the official announcement imminent, it remains to be seen how accurate Latif's predictions are and whether the PCB makes any unexpected selections for the crucial tour against New Zealand.
Express Tribune
26-02-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Pak bemoans 'death of cricket' after CT flop
Cricket fans in Karachi watch a live broadcast of their team lose to India. Photo: AFP Gloom and demands for wholesale change engulfed cricket-crazy Pakistan on Tuesday after the hosts crashed out of the Champions Trophy in the group stage, barely a week into celebrating the return of a major tournament. The title-holders lost their opening game to New Zealand by 60 runs in Karachi last week before Sunday's six-wicket defeat to arch-rivals India pushed them to the brink of an early exit. Pakistan needed Bangladesh to beat New Zealand on Monday to keep their slim hopes of a place in the semi-finals alive, but the result went the other way. Thursday's match with Bangladesh in Rawalpindi has been reduced to a dead-rubber. "We have been backing these players for the last few years but they are not learning nor improving," former captain Wasim Akram told AFP. "It is time for a major shake-up. We need to improve our system of domestic cricket so that we can produce quality cricketers, not ordinary ones." A lack of competitiveness in domestic cricket and low-quality pitches have been blamed for not preparing players for the international stage. The sport in Pakistan is also held back by frequent changes to the cricket board, coaching teams and selection panels, critics say. Such changes are driven by politics and not merit, according to observers. "I feel very despondent with the state of Pakistan cricket," former captain Rashid Latif told AFP. 'Complete overhaul': what went wrong for Pakistan in Champions Trophy "We have to follow merit and bring in professionals in the administration of the game and not people on a political basis. "Frequent changes in the Pakistan Cricket Board, selection committee and captains have failed us in forming a proper set-up and team." 'No fight' The early elimination stings for a country that had relished hosting its first major cricket tournament in 29 years, after significant improvements in security. "We were thrilled that an international event had finally returned to our country, but the joy was short-lived," said 26-year-old Umar Siraj, a pharmacist in Rawalpindi. "The hardest part of being a Pakistan fan is that you end up praying for other teams to lose," he chuckled. "It's painful. I'm gutted." Pakistan's Champions Trophy flop is nothing new. They also crashed out of the 2023 ODI World Cup in the first round in India. It was followed by their exit at the same stage in the Twenty20 World Cup in the United States and West Indies last year – a tournament won by neighbours India. Pakistan last month finished ninth and last in the World Test Championship after drawing a home series with the West Indies. The latest debacle, and on home soil, represents a new low. "It is disappointing that they didn't even put up a fight," said Naseem Satti, a 46-year-old government servant. "We have no quality bowlers, no reliable batters and it seems cricket is dead in Pakistan." Asma Batool, a 52-year-old housewife, underlined just what cricket means to people in Pakistan. "Cricket is the only source of entertainment for our youth," she said. "Our nation finds solace in this game."
Al Jazeera
25-02-2025
- Sport
- Al Jazeera
Cricket experts berate Pakistan's Champions Trophy exit, loss to India
Gloom and demands for wholesale changes have engulfed cricket-crazy Pakistan after the hosts crashed out of the Champions Trophy in the group stage, barely a week into celebrating the return of a major tournament. The titleholders lost their opening game to New Zealand by 60 runs in Karachi on Wednesday, before Sunday's six-wicket defeat to archrivals India pushed them to the brink of an early exit. Pakistan needed Bangladesh to beat New Zealand on Monday to keep their slim hopes of a place in the semifinals alive, but the result went the other way. Thursday's game with Bangladesh in Rawalpindi has been reduced to a dead-rubber match. 'We have been backing these players for the last few years, but they are not learning nor improving,' former captain Wasim Akram told the AFP news agency. 'It is time for a major shake-up. We need to improve our system of domestic cricket so that we can produce quality cricketers, not ordinary ones.' A lack of competitiveness in domestic cricket and low-quality pitches have been blamed for not preparing players for the international stage. The sport in Pakistan is also held back by frequent changes to the cricket board, coaching teams and selection panels, critics say. Such changes are driven by politics and not merit, according to observers. 'I feel very despondent with the state of Pakistan cricket,' former captain Rashid Latif said. 'We have to follow merit and bring in professionals in the administration of the game and not people on a political basis. 'Frequent changes in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), selection committee and captains have failed us in forming a proper set-up and team.' The early elimination stings for a country that had relished hosting its first major cricket tournament in 29 years, after significant improvements in security. Former Pakistan captain and popular all-rounder Shahid Afridi accused Pakistan of playing outdated cricket. 'In 2025 Pakistan was playing the cricket style of the 1980s and 1990s while other teams had progressed well to adopt an aggressive and modern style,' he said. 'We need a complete overhaul of the system so that we can produce players with an aggressive mindset.' 'Cricket is dead in Pakistan' 'We were thrilled that an international event had finally returned to our country, but the joy was short-lived,' said 26-year-old Umar Siraj, a pharmacist in Rawalpindi. 'The hardest part of being a Pakistan fan is that you end up praying for other teams to lose,' he chuckled. 'It's painful. I'm gutted.' Pakistan's Champions Trophy flop is nothing new. They also crashed out of the 2023 ODI World Cup in the first round in India. It was followed by their exit at the same stage in the Twenty20 World Cup in the United States and West Indies last year – a tournament won by neighbours India. Pakistan last month finished ninth and last in the World Test Championship after drawing a home series with the West Indies. The latest debacle, and on home soil, represents a new low. 'It is disappointing that they didn't even put up a fight,' said Naseem Satti, a 46-year-old government worker. 'We have no quality bowlers, no reliable batters and it seems cricket is dead in Pakistan.' Asma Batool, a 52-year-old housewife, underlined just what cricket means to people in Pakistan. 'Cricket is the only source of entertainment for our youth,' she said. 'Our nation finds solace in this game.' Injuries, poor form deal lethal blows Mohammad Rizwan was appointed Pakistan's white-ball skipper in October and led Pakistan to an impressive 2-1 ODI win over world champions Australia – their first series victory in 22 years in the country. They also won in Zimbabwe and inflicted on South Africa their first home whitewash, with a 3-0 scoreline. However, fast-rising opener Saim Ayub injured his ankle during a subsequent Test in South Africa and Pakistan delayed the announcement of their Champions Trophy squad until the deadline to wait on Ayub's fitness even as the left-hander failed to recover. To add to the home team's woes, fellow opener Fakhar Zaman was ruled out of the rest of the tournament after the first match – a 60-run defeat to New Zealand – with a muscle injury. Pakistan's much-vaunted pace attack of Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf – rested from the Test series to keep them fresh – looked rusty and failed to control the death overs. When Zaman was ruled out, the team brought in Imam-ul-Haq as a replacement. He made just 10 as Pakistan were crushed by title favourites India by six wickets. In a surprise move, they included in the squad all-rounders Khushdil Shah and Faheem Ashraf on the basis of their performances in Bangladesh's Twenty20 league. Ashraf had not played an ODI for two years and Khushdil for three. Latif called these choices 'political selection', blaming outside influence. Fans blame 'losers' mindset' For the fans, the loss against India brought a now-familiar heartache. Moiz Umer, a cafe owner in Karachi, said customers asked him to change the TV channel to 'avoid the humiliation' of witnessing their Champions Trophy defeat to India. 'For large parts of the Indian innings, a good number of people turned their backs to the match – facing their friends instead of the screen, such was the disappointment,' said the 45-year-old in the city of Karachi. Fans who didn't look away watched India outclass Pakistan for the second time in eight months in an ICC event, following their clash in the ICC T20 World Cup. 'It was such a big match and we went down with a whimper,' said 42-year-old Zain Mursaleen, among around a hundred spectators with a deflated mood who had gathered to watch the match in Karachi. 'We love to see good cricket and Pakistan failed to produce that – again.' In the garrison city adjacent to the capital Islamabad, the atmosphere was sombre from the outset before India's star batter Virat Kohli struck an unbeaten 100. 'They came to the game with a loser's mindset and never attempted to attack,' said 53-year-old chef Rasheed Saleem. 'I doubt they even realise how disheartening it is for fans to see them go down like this.'
