Den of match-fixing is in India: Aaqib Javed

Former Pakistan paceman Aaqib Javed on Wednesday accused that the primary den of match-fixing is in India. Aaqib, who was one of the whistleblowers of the corruption scandal in Pakistan cricket in the 1990s, also spoke about instances of match-fixing in Pakistan."Questions have been raised about the IPL and I think the den of this match-fixing mafia is India," Aaqib was quoted as saying by a Pakistan television channel Geo news.

Speaking about his own career, Aaqib also said that he couldn't make it back into the team because he blew the whistle on match fixers. "My career ended prematurely because I spoke against fixing. I was being threatened that I would be ripped to pieces. If you are vocal against fixing then you can only go to a certain extent in your career. This is why I was not able to become the head coach [of Pakistan]," Javed was quoted as saying by Geo TV.

The former cricketer further went on to slam Pakistan Cricket Board for paving a way back for Mohammad Amir's return to cricket, who served a ban of fixing matches in England along with teammates Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif. "These things encourage those who have been involved with match-fixing," he said.

"This mafia runs very deep and once you enter it you can never come back. Many cricketers were punished but the mafia was never identified. Both of them should be punished and this menace will only go away through severe punishments and lifetime bans," he added.

Javed was part of the Pakistan team that went on to win the 1992 World Cup under the leadership of current Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan.