Akram’s mom pleads with irate fans in Pak

Some furious fans demanded the arrest of those responsible for the defeat and called for an inquiry into match-fixing and betting allegations.

But Begum Akram Chaudhry told reporters: “When two teams play, one has to lose but the attitude of the people on Pakistan’s defeat is unfortunate.

“Cricket lovers in Pakistan should now change their attitude and encourage the players for the team’s better performances in the future.”

She said she would meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to discuss “why allegations like match fixing and bribery are levelled on every defeat.”

“I offered prayers. I was so depressed that I could not eat my dinner,” Mrs Chaudhry added.

But the dismayed mother said:“It is sad when people come up with demands like the hanging of the players.”

The Pakistani skipper had to face the heat in 1996 also. His home was pelted with stones and his family received death threats after Pakistan lost to India in the 1996 World Cup quarter-final at Bangalore.

Leading the bribery allegations was Aamir Sohail, one of the best opening batsmen produced by Pakistan in recent times. He had made such allegations against some members of the team about two years ago which had led to Pakistan Cricket Board slapping a two-year ban on him because he had failed to prove the charges.

He said: “I still believe Pakistan lost the (World Cup) final for money. There is absolutely no technical reason to point out why Pakistan failed to measure up Australia in a title match. I am not under any illusion about Pakistan team’s ability, but at the same time it is a plain undiluted fact that the final was lost to make money in millions,” said the ex-skipper who was stripped of his captaincy midwaythrough a home series against Zimbabwe last year and was also excluded from the team for his apparent differences with the board officials, mainly chief executive Majid Khan.

However, Inzamum-ul–Haq, a leading member of the Pakistani World Cup squad, rejected the betting allegations saying that apart from respect and popularity, the players would have earned a huge amount as prize money had they won the final.