Pakistan coach quits over match-fixing quotes

ISLAMABAD (AP):

Rashid Latif resigned yesterday as a specialist coach for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after he was asked to explain comments that were critical of the PCB over the match-fixing scandal.

Latif stepped down as wicketkeeping coach at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore after being served with a notice by the PCB to front the board.

"While it is an honour to serve Pakistan cricket in any position, I can't remain quiet on a key cricket issue that could determine the future of Pakistan cricket," Latif said in a statement. "As a former player and captain, people look up to me and expect me to speak honestly, and without bias, and that I have done without meaning anything personal against anyone."

The 42-year-old Latif played 37 Tests and 166 one-day internationals as a wicketkeeper before retiring in 2003. A former captain, Latif said he had enjoyed his role as wicketkeeping coach under the supervision of PCB chairman Ijaz Butt.

"But I have other responsibilities as well to Pakistan cricket, which has given me a lot," he said.

Latif said he had accepted an offer from the Afghanistan Cricket Board to be the head coach of its national team.

"I will join the Afghan cricket team very soon," Latif said.

Pakistan Test captain Salman Butt and opening bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir have been suspended by the ICC and are being investigated by British police over allegations in a newspaper that they were paid to deliberately bowl no-balls during a Test against England at Lord's last month.

The trio responded through their lawyer yesterday to the charges of match-fixing, two days before the deadline set by the ICC.

Meanwhile, former ICC president and PCB official, Ehsan Mani, said avarice was the main cause of players engaging in match-fixing and 'spot-fixing', which is the manipulation of events within a game for financial gain.

"There is no excuse (for corruption) apart from sheer greed," Mani told the monthly Wisden Cricketer magazine. "If a player comes from a very underprivileged background and makes the big time, he needs a lot of mentoring, a lot of support and education.

"Players need to be educated about the ethics of cricket, the values of the game, the bigger things that this great game is about. Without that, it's so easy for them to get sidetracked. We have to be honest, there has been a failure in the system in Pakistan here and certainly Pakistan should be accountable to the ICC to explain how it's gone so wrong."