PCB to deny Malik fresh central contract

Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik will not be awarded a central contract by the Cricket Board (PCB) as he is yet to satisfy the integrity committee about an amount of 90,000 pounds in his account.

Sources in the PCB have said that Malik, Danish Kaneria, Kamran Akmal, Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Akhtar were out of contention for the central contracts of the board.

"In Malik's case he has provided everything that was asked for by the integrity committee of the board except for the questions surrounding the fate of the 90,000 pounds," one source said.

The source said the amount was found backdated in one of Malik's accounts but was missing in the latest bank statement he submitted to PCB's integrity committee.

"The integrity committee asked him to explain where he had spent the amount but so far he has been unable to give them a satisfactory reply," the source said.

"Malik has told the committee that he gave loans to some of his friends but was unable to divulge details of the persons he had given the amount to," he added.

Another source aware of the details confirmed that during his appearances before the integrity committee, it was also found that an Indian had worked as Malik's agent for a whileand was investigated.

"The present situation is that Malik is clear in every regard except for the unanswered questions about how the 90,000 pounds were spent and where," the source said.

The PCB Chairman, in a recent interview, had said that once Malik cleared the air over the issue he could walk into the Pakistan team.

Ijaz Butt had noted that given his performance at the domestic level and his outstanding record in One-Day Internationals, the Pakistan team needed an all-rounder of Malik's caliber.

 "I have myself spoken to him and given him brotherly advice that he should just satisfy the integrity committee about this issue and he is clear to play for Pakistan," Butt had said.

Malik last played for Pakistan on the tour of England last year but since then he has been ignored for selection and was also not considered for the World Cup.