Akmal is no "match-fixer": Ex-Oz keeper Healy

Sydney, Aug.31 : Former Australian wicketkeeper Ian Healy has declared Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal completely innocent of match-fixing despite his butter-gloved display in the Sydney Test in January this year.

Vice-captain Akmal then dropped four catches in Australia''s second innings, which allowed the home side to make a remarkable fight back and secure an astonishing 36-run win.

Healy revealed that Akmal had approached him before the three-Test series and asked for advice about his poor form.

"He was stiff as a board and extremely tense. You couldn''t drop those on purpose they way he was doing it, the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Healy, as saying.

"His technique had gone off, which he told me about two weeks before - the ball wasn''t going into his glove that well for the spinners. I said to him `look, we''ll work on that in Hobart''. I wasn''t going to the Sydney Test. And then he did that. It didn''t look to me as if they were on purpose at all," Healy added.

Healy preferred to look at the brighter side of the recent allegations.

"I''m pleased it''s been caught or exposed, that''s the best thing about it. We''d be stupid to think this is new. How long has this lurk been going on? It''s a long time I''m sure, but it''s been caught which is awesome. I don''t think it''s disturbing, I think it''s great that it''s been caught," he said.

Healy felt players guilty of match fixing had no excuses and should be dealt with harshly.

"If you''re into this, you haven''t got a feeling or a desire for your country, it''s simple as that," Healy said.

"They''re probably crook, they''re ill and they don''t care enough about their country for mine. Before you even consider the money, they are throwing away a career or risking a career for one fee and hopefully those types have been caught," he said.