Karachi: Former Pakistan captains Wasim Akram and Moin Khan Tuesday termed as "ridiculous" and "nonsense" allegations by controversial British sports agent that a number of Pakistani cricket greats, including them, were involved in match-fixing.
Agent Mazhar Majeed told the Southwark Crown Court in London Monday that some of the biggest names in Pakistan cricket took part in fixing of matches.
Majeed said: "It`s been happening for centuries. It`s been happening for years. Wasim, Waqar, Ijaz Ahmed, Moin Khan, they all did it."
"Such allegations are ridiculous," Wasim was quoted as saying by The News International.
"I have not even known that any person by the name of Mazhar Majeed existed before the spot-fixing scandal exploded last year," the legendary fast bowlers said.
Former Test wicketkeeper Moin Khan, like Wasim, said he had never heard of Mazhar during his playing days.
"This man is talking nonsense. He is in a deep mess and wants to get out of it," said Moin.
Majeed, the former investigations editor for Rupert Murdoch`s now-defunct News of the World tabloid, was deposing before the court in the trial of former Pakistan captain Salman Butt and fast bowler Mohammad Asif.
The video was secretly filmed inside a car as the agent and the reporter, who was posing as an Indian front man for a Far East gambling syndicate, met Aug 18 last year on the first day of Pakistan`s Test against England at The Oval.
Butt and Asif have pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to cheat, and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments.
Butt, Asif and Pakistan teammate Mohammed Amir are accused of conspiring with Majeed to bowl no-balls deliberately in the Lord`s Test against England last August.
Majeed and Amir have been charged with the same offences, but are not standing trial alongside Butt and Asif.
IANS
First Published: Tuesday, October 11, 2011, 21:14