Date set for Pakistan inquiry

Saeed Anwar is run out against Bangladesh

Pakistan's probe into whether matches in the 1999 Cricket World Cup were thrown will begin on 22 September.

The one-man commission, led by Justice Kharamat Bhandani, will also look into bribery allegations concerning former Test umpire Javed Akhtar.

"We have invited anyone having any information or evidence which can be of help to the comission to register with us by 20 September," commission registrar Kazim Ali Malik told Reuters.

The inquiry, which will take place int he Lahore High Court, is the second conducted in Pakistan into match-fixing after a 1998 investigation resulted in bans and fines.

Malik said the World Cup defeats by Bangladesh and India would be under scrutiny, as would the conduct of Akhtar during the Test between England and South Africa at Headingley in 1998.

Javed Akhtar raises the finger to England's Andrew Flintoff

Pakistan lost by 62 runs to Bangladesh in their final first round group match, having already qualified for the Super Sixes phase of the tournament.

It was one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history.

"The terms of reference of the commission are to probe and ascertain whether there was any match-fixing in the matches against Bangladesh and India and to submit recommendations," Malik said.

The allegations against former umpire Akhtar came to light last year.

Dr Ali Bacher, the former chief executive of the United CRicket Board of South Africa, said he had been told that Akhtar accepted money from a bookmaker to influence the outcome of the 1998 Test between England and South Africa at Leeds.

Bans and fines

Akhtar gave nine of the 10 lbw decisions made during the game, which England won by 23 runs to clinch a 2-1 victory in the series.

He officiated in 18 Tests and 40 one-day internationals before retiring from umpiring in 1999.

In 1998 Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum's investigation into match-fixing resulted in life bans for former captain Salim Malik and fast bowler Ata-ur-Rehman.

He also recommended that six other players be fined and censured, including Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Saeed Anwar and Mushtaq Ahmed.