DUBAI, Oct 11 - Pakistan cricket authorities, keen to try to exorcise the spectre of match-fixing allegations, have told Sharjah Cup organisers they will not come to Sharjah again if they see bookmakers approaching the team.
“If I see a mobile phone or a person with a mobile in the dressing room, we will not come to Sharjah,” Mujibur Rahman, the Pakistan Cricket Board chief, told reporters on Monday.
Pakistan agreed to compete in the tournament only after receiving a firm assurance from the organisers.
The 10-day event, which also features the West Indies and Sri Lanka, starts on Wednesday.
Rahman refused to comment on the judicial commission inquiring in Pakistan into match-fixing bribery allegations but said the delay in publication of its report was “not beneficial for the board.”
Players are on a cash bonus of 500,000 Pakistan rupees ($9,650) each if they win the forthcoming test series in Australia. They got 200,000 rupees ($3,860) each after winning last month’s Toronto series against West Indies.
“The performance-linked bonus and other perks are part of my new approach to improve the state of affairs in Pakistan cricket,” Rahman said.
The winning team in Sharjah receives $50,000 with $30,000 for the runners-up.