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Waqar refutes match-fixing claims

Pakistan coach Waqar Younis has voiced his confidence that there was “nothing wrong” with the third one-day global against England in Sharjah amid reports the match is under investigation over possible suspicious betting patterns.

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The Mail, whose claims have not seen the ICC respond either way, alleged that betting patterns were so unusual that the anti-corruption unit (ACSU) are looking into it.

The investigators were tipped off before the match that Pakistan would underperform in the game and that three run-outs, casual dismissals of batsmen and sloppy fielding were suspicious.

Pakistan were bowled out for 208 on a flat pitch, with skipper Azhar Ali, Mohammad Rizwan and Shoaib Malik run out.

“I’m satisfied my players have done nothing wrong, and that there is nothing in these allegations”, he said. England won Tuesday’s ODI by six wickets and on Friday wrapped up a 3-1 series win with an 84-run victory in the fourth and final match.

Waqar Younis, the Pakistan coach, has also refuted allegations of fixing in the Sharjah ODI.

“I think they played better than us without any doubt, and today [Jos] Buttler played an extraordinary innings and that took away the game from us, but I still am proud of the guys the way they started and played well throughout”. “You lose and win games, and it’s unfortunate the way the whole thing happened”.

Khan criticised Vaughan, saying: “I hate the fact we watch cricket with so much suspicions…it shouldn’t be that way”.

The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Shahryar Khan, is believed to be consulting the worldwide Cricket Council over a series of tweets by Vaughan during the game on Tuesday which he later deleted.

“We will raise this with the ICC. Although he later deleted those tweets, but the damage was done”.

Pakistan has been embroiled in fixing scandals in the past.

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Pakistan’s erratic performance, with the bat especially, brought a quizzical reaction from many on social media at the time – including former England captain Michael Vaughan.

Waqar Younis