Shocked by speculation of match-fixing during Pakistan's tour here, Australia's Test and ODI vice-captain Michael Clarke and former skipper Steve Waugh hoped that the “devastating” claims turn out to be false as they didn't sense anything fishy during the series.
The ICC has acknowledged that the series, especially the Sydney Test, was under suspicion but Clarke said he is confident that nothing suspicious happened during the series.
“The Sydney Test was a wonderful Test win. I can only talk personally. I certainly had no suspicions. Looking back it was a wonderful Test match and a huge win for us, but I certainly had no suspicions,” Clarke was quoted as saying by The Australian.
Waugh said he didn't see any deliberate under-performance during the Sydney Test, during which Pakistani wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal dropped four catches besides missing a crucial run out.
“I thought it was a great Test match,” the former captain said.
“I would be devastated like all sports fans, if there was an element of match-fixing to it because it was a fantastic Test. It was up and down the whole way.
“It fluctuated, and that's what Test matches are all about, to have someone come out and say it wasn't quite right, that would be very damaging to the game and also to Pakistan,” he added.
Waugh said Australia's come-from-behind victory was not unusual in anyway as the world champions have proved themselves time and again.
“First day I said ‘if you want to see a great victory I would back Australia now' because that's the sort of situation Australian cricketers like. They like to be behind the eight ball, the odds against them, and that's when they produce their best cricket, so I wasn't surprised by the end result.”
The former captain said match-fixing is anyway difficult to prove.