Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal has dismissed allegations of having links with bookmakers and that he deliberately under-performed on the tour of Australia at the start of this year. Akmal told the media in Lahore Friday that he was fed up with the constant speculation about match-fixing in Pakistan cricket, instead opting to focus on competing. “I don't even think about these things, I just concentrate on my performances. For me not being able to win the Twenty20 World Cup despite the team playing well is heartbreaking enough,” Akmal said. Pakistan slumped to defeat in the second Test in Sydney after it appeared to have victory within its grasp with Akmal dropping three catches and missing a run out. His performance came under scrutiny during a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) probe into the team's poor tour with former coaches Intikhab Alam and Aaqib Javed both expressing suspicions that Akmal may have links with bookmakers. The pair's statements caused an uproar in Pakistan when video recordings of the inquiry committee proceedings were leaked to a television channel this week. “I have always played for my country and I have already told the PCB about my performances in Australia. Whoever is now making allegations is free to do so but must also prove them,” Akmal added. The 28-year-old has played 48 Tests and 115 One-Day Internationals for his country, and was a key player in Pakistan's run to the semifinals of the Twenty20 World Cup in the Caribbean earlier this month. On his return from the attending the tournament in the West Indies, PCB chairman Ijaz Butt told reporters that the board had informed the ICC they had found no evidence of match-fixing by any player on the Australian tour. “The inquiry into the Australian tour is complete and players have been penalized. The chapter is closed now for the PCB,” Butt said. The PCB chief said the game's governing body has also found no evidence of wrongdoing. The ICC anti-corruption unit confirmed Thursday that it has been investigating Pakistan's Sydney Test defeat but said the challenge was finding solid facts. MPs on Thursday summoned officials for further investigation after leaked video footage of a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) inquiry showed players and former officials raising suspicions about match-fixing on the Australia tour. The parliamentary committee will meet in Islamabad Monday and also decide whether to appoint independent judges to investigate the allegations. Ijaz Butt, Australia tour coach Intikhab Alam, team manager Abdul Raqeeb, former captain Younus Khan and former chief selector Iqbal Qasim are expected to attend Monday's meeting. Butt said an independent Pakistan Cricket Board committee has already investigated the matter.
