Karachi, Mar 28: Former Pakistan cricket captain Imran Khan has rubbished Interior Minister Rehman Malik's warning to the Pakistan cricket team not to indulge in match fixing in their crucial World Cup semi-final against India.
Khan said he was more worried about the activities of Malik than of the Pakistan cricket team. He said he was confident that the national team would put pride before all else to try and beat India in Wednesday's clash at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali.
Khan was giving a rejoinder to Malik's warning that he (Malik) was keeping a "close watch" on the team's activities.
Malik told media persons: "I gave a warning that there should be no match-fixing. I am keeping a close watch. If any such thing happens, we are going to take action."
Malik was speaking in Karachi days ahead of the game in Mohali that will showcase one of the world''s most intense sporting rivalries.
Malik said that though he was "sure the team has very clean members", intelligence is being gathered on the Pakistani cricketers, including "who are meeting them and the position of their telephones".
"This is necessary because we can't take a chance after what happened in London," he said, in a reference to a recent match-fixing controversy in Britain involving three Pakistani players.
Malik said: "Do your practice, sleep early at night and wake at the proper time. They should dedicate themselves to Pakistan for the match."
"There is a lot of love for the cricketers and we hope they will win the game for us. We expect they will not disappoint the people," he said.
Malik also welcomed his Indian counterpart P Chidambaram's remarks about adequate security being provided to the Pakistani team while in India in light of possible threats to the players.
He noted that Chidambaram had said special arrangements would be made for the game in Mohali, including the deploying of some 1,000 commandoes.
"I am sure of his (Chidambaram's) capability. He is a man of wisdom and authority and has the capability to handle things well," Malik said.
