Khan backs Bacher's allegations

Majid Khan is convinced games were fixed

Former Pakistan Cricket Board chief Majid Khan is convinced two matches at the World Cup were fixed but said he had "no proof".

The United Cricket Board managing director Ali Bacher told the King Commission into match-fixing in Cape Town on Monday that he had been told by Khan that the India-Pakistan and Bangladesh-Pakistan games at last year's World Cup were fixed.

Khan confirmed that he had told Bacher of his suspicions.

"Yes, I told Bacher and I stand by what I said. I am willing to travel to Cape Town to testify before Judge (Edwin) King.

Bacher: Gave damning evidence at the King commission

"Bacher called me last month and sought permission to relay the information to the South African inquiry," he said.

"The odds for the Bangladesh-Pakistan match were continuously falling while I was told by a highly reliable source that bookies were approaching players before the explosive Pakistan-India match."

Pakistan lost both matches, with the loss to Bangladesh considered the biggest upset of the tournament.

Khan said he was unhappy that Judge Malik Mohammad Qayyum's recent inquiry into corruption in Pakistan cricket had not covered the World Cup matches.

Bacher called me last month and sought permission to relay the information to the South African inquiry

Majid Khan, former PCB chief

Khan, who completed a three-year term as head of Pakistan cricket during the World Cup, said he never mentioned his suspicions to his board colleagues but felt they knew how he felt.

"They knew how serious I was about the whole issue. I was the one who took up the matter with the government and requested the appointment of a judicial commission to investigate the matter.

"I believe match-fixing is not taking place now but I am convinced that the entire (cricket) world was involved."

In response to Bacher's allegations, the Pakistan Cricket Board will hold an emergency meeting to study his claims.

We do not know or believe it - we played our game and won the match against Pakistan

Bangladesh Cricket Board' Syed Ashraful Huq

"At the moment I will say nothing. But we will meet very shortly, maybe on Tuesday, to chalk out our strategy," PCB director Yawar Saeed said.

Meanwhile, a Bangladesh official denied any knowledge of alleged match-fixing during the World Cup.

"We do not know or believe it. We played our game and won the match against Pakistan," said Syed Ashraful Huq, general secretary of Bangladesh Cricket Board.

Pakistan captain Moin Khan on Monday refused to comment on the alleagtions except to say: "The (Pakistan cricket) board has told us only to concentrate on cricket."