Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt said Wednesday he was withdrawing comments alleging England players had ‘thrown’ this month’s third one-day international at The Oval.
Butt had claimed England players were paid “enormous amounts of money” to lose The Oval match in a series the hosts ultimately won 3-2.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) threatened legal action in response unless Butt “unreservedly” apologised for remarks he said at the time were merely a case of him repeating something he’d heard from bookmakers.
And after a meeting with ECB counterpart Giles Clarke on Wednesday, England got the apology they wanted for what Butt said was a “misunderstanding”, with the ECB now declaring the matter “closed”.
Butt, in a joint ECB/PCB statement, said: “I wish personally and on behalf of the Pakistan Cricket Board to withdraw the comments I made concerning the England and Wales Cricket Board and each of the England players who played in the one-day international at The Oval on Friday 17 September." “It is regrettable that there was a misunderstanding arising from my comments,” he added.
I would like to make it quite clear that in the statements which I made that I never intended to question the behaviour and integrity of the England players nor the ECB nor to suggest that any of them were involved in any corrupt practices or in a conspiracy against Pakistan cricket.
“In particular, I wish to make it clear that I have never seen any evidence of any wrong doing by any England player or the ECB at any time. I deeply and sincerely regret that my statements have been interpreted to cast doubt upon the good names of the England players and the ECB and hope that this public withdrawal will draw a line under the matter, he added.
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