PCB chief rubbishes rumours of bribing Zimbabwe cricketers

Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Shaharyar Khan addressing a news conference in Karachi, Pakistan, Friday, Sept. 5, 2014. Khan said Ahmed Shehzad has breached PCB's central contract for making religious comments to Sri Lanka player Tillakaratne Dilshan and a disciplinary action can be taken against the opening batsman. Shehzad was caught on camera last Saturday telling Dilshan "if you are a non-Muslim and you turn Muslim, no matter whatever you do in your life, straight to heaven." (AP Photo/Shakil Adil)

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan rubbished claims that Zimbabwe was “bribed” into touring Pakistan.

Mr. Khan said on Friday that while it had paid around $500,000 to Zimbabwe cricket to cover their expenses for the tour but it was unfortunate there had been talk about players being bribed to tour Pakistan.

“That is not true as the tour was approved by both boards and just yesterday our Prime Minister sent a message of thanks to the Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe for allowing his team to tour Pakistan,” he said.

“In such a scenario, there is no question of bribing players,” he added.

Zimbabwe was the first Test side to tour Pakistan in six years after other boards refused to send their teams because of security concerns following militant attacks on the Sri Lankan team in March 2009 in Lahore.