Hauritz shocked by Pakistan match fixing sting

Melbourne, Aug 30 (ANI): Australian spinner Nathan Hauritz was shocked to learn about involvement of Pakistani players in alleged match fixing during this year’s Sydney Test, which may overshadow his match winning performance.

After surfacing of allegations that Pakistani players were involved in ‘spot fixing’, captain Salman Butt has refused to answer allegations that his team deliberately lost the dramatic Sydney Test against Australia in January.

The Pakistan team is in the midst of a betting scam, where fast bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif are alleged to have bowled pre-arranged no-balls in the Lord’s Test, which England won by an innings and 225 runs on Sunday.

Suspicion has long surrounded the Sydney match in which Australia pulled off a miraculous escape against a seemingly imploding Pakistan.

Lord Condon, the then International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption boss, indicated that he had grave concerns about the Sydney Test but was unable to pin down the players’ motivation for under performing.

In the sting operation, Majeed detailed how corrupt punters got on Australia at 40/1 at the SCG in January - in the Test which always had a whiff of controversy after wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal dropped four catches, The Courier Mail reports.

Majeed reveals that Pakistan batsmen threw away their wickets when they were bowled out for 139, chasing 176 against Australia in this year''s Sydney Test.

Australia off-spinner Hauritz, who bowled Australia to SCG victory with 5-53, was on Sunday night struggling to come to terms.

“It’s something that I wouldn’t have imagined happening, but if it has it’s a big shock. If this has happened, it is so disappointing for cricket around the world. I’d like to think that we still won that Test fair and square, on the back of our bowling attack on that final day,” Hauritz said.