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Former Pakistan cricket captain Saleem Malik said India’s decision to pardon disgraced star Mohammad Azharuddin has raised his hopes of overturning his own life ban for match-fixing.

Indian cricket authorities said on Thursday they planned to resurrect Azharuddin from a life of shame despite objections from sport’s governing body, the ICC.

“I can’t tell you how happy I was on learning that Azhar’s ban will be lifted soon. It’s a ray of hope for me that I should get a similar reprieve from Pakistan,” Saleem told AFP on Friday. “My pleas have fallen on deaf ears, nobody wants to listen to my requests. It has been just like six years of imprisonment for me,” he added.

The stylish 43-year-old batsman is still waiting for the outcome of a Supreme Court appeal against his ban. Pakistan banned Saleem for life in 2000 following a judicial inquiry into match-fixing allegations that resulted from allegations by Australian players Shane Warne, Tim May and Mark Waugh.

The ban ended Saleem’s impressive 19-year career during which he scored 5,768 runs in 103 Tests and 7,170 in 263 ODIs. He also led Pakistan in 12 Tests and 34 one-day matches.

Saleem said he would put his case before the newly appointed PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf and operations director Saleem Altaf. “I know the new chairman is an educated person and like the Indian board officials would listen to my request and take the same stance as India,” he said.

Saleem said his main goal is to clear his name and then he wants to form an academy for youngsters in this cricket loving South Asian nation.

Source:The News

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