The Pakistani Spectator

Veena Malik has come out with new revelations about Pakistani pacer Muhammad Asif, who is facing spot-fixing allegations. She claims that the fast bowler had told her that the Pakistan team would lose in Australia and had visited bookies in Bangkok in December last year just before the Australia series.

Ms Malik, who ended her friendship with Asif after a bitter monetary dispute, says the pacer had also used servants’ phones to speak to his connections in the gambling world. She also claims to have cautioned him against getting involved in such activities but he “did not listen”.

Whether Asif has done whatever he has been accused of can be established only through an independent inquiry. But the question arises: why did Malik not disclose Asif’s alleged shabby dealings before? Was it appropriate on her part to keep silent on such an important issue as long as her friendship with the pacer lasted? Had she blown the whistle on him earlier, the cricketing authorities may have probed the allegations and the latest episode of what now seems an unending embarrassment may have been averted.

By Nudma Umer