PCB chairman Ejaz Butt did a flip-flop on Friday by first telling a press conference that two Pakistani cricketers are suspected of match-fixing and then denying the statement and claiming that he had been merely referring to old cases.
The PCB chief stirred a hornet's nest when he told a press conference in Lahore that two players were suspected of being involved in match-fixing.
"We are waiting for a report from the inquiry committee we have set up to probe into the team's poor performances in Australia," Butt said.
"Once the inquiry committee gives it report, I will comment further on this issue," he said. Butt subsequently changed his stance and claimed he had basically spoken with reference to some old cases.
"I was not talking about current players at all, people have misunderstood me and misquoted me," he said.
PCB general-manager (media) Nadeem Sarwar sprang into a damage control exercise, claiming the press had misinterpreted the whole affair.
"The Chairman was asked a question on the issue of match-fixing and he spoke with relation to old cases and said that the ICC had, at one time, conveyed to the PCB the names of two players who were suspected of being involved in match fixing," Sarwar said.
"He was speaking in context of old cases and not about any current player," he claimed.
"It is entirely wrong to interpret that Ejaz Butt has said that two current players were involved in match fixing," Sarwar said.
"The inquiry committee (of which Butt spoke about) is looking at the team's performances and cases of discipline. Match-fixing is not its domain. Ejaz Butt spoke about the committee in that reference not in reference to any match fixing issue," the PCB official said.
Sarwar also made it clear that any issue dealing with match-fixing was the domain of the ICC and not the PCB.
Butt's remarks came on the same day that a section of the Pakistani media reported that wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal is being investigated for his alleged involvement in match-fixing.
The media reported that Akmal came under the scanner for dropping three crucial catches and missing a clear run out chance in the second Test against Australia in Sydney.