Pakistan Captain Sarfraz spurns bookie

The man who made the verbal offer to Sarfaraz is based in Dubai and known to the Pakistani players.

In a shocking revelation, Pakistan Captain Sarfraz Ahmed has disclosed that he turned down a lucrative offer from a bookmaker in Dubai during the ongoing ODI series against Sri Lanka and reported the matter to the anti-corruption and security unit officials.

The incident has shaken the Pakistan team management and anti-corruption and security officials travelling with the team in the UAE, as they felt that the bans imposed on batsmen Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif for spot-fixing in Pakistan Super League might have stopped such moves.

"The matter has been handled as per standard procedure but there is a lot of respect for Sarfraz, who as a captain and player, has set a great example for his teammates on how to avoid attempts to corrupt the game," an official of the Pakistan Cricket Board said on condition of anonymity.

"ICC rules don't allow us to name player(s) in such cases where approaches are reported, but yes Sarfraz got an offer and he immediately reported the matter to the concerned officials, who have taken appropriate action," he added.

Incidentally, the man who made the verbal offer to Sarfaraz is based in Dubai and is learnt to be known to the Pakistani players.

A PCB official said the team management has increased vigilance of players and reset curfew timings.

"On the insistence of head coach Mickey Arthur, there was a bit of relaxation for the players during the ongoing series in the UAE and they were allowed to meet friends and go out for shopping and dinners, but now strict procedures and timings have been enforced again," the official said.

The PCB had changed the team hotel in Dubai following the PSL spot-fixing scandal in February which rocked Pakistan cricket.

The PCB's anti-corruption tribunal banned Sharjeel and Khalid for five years after both were found guilty of breaching the anti-corruption code during the PSL and were sent back home from Dubai.

IMAGE: Pakistan Captain Sarfraz Ahmed with his team-mates. Photograph: ICC/Twitter