LAHORE: Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf, who has been withdrawn from the Champions Trophy over allegations of match-fixing, came to the surface in a private gathering held in Lahore.
Adnan Rauf, who had recently returned home from India, was in delightful mood but could not speak to reporters because of the code of conduct for umpires on the International Cricket Council (ICC) elite panel.
Asad, however, said that he would soon be holding a press conference after ICC consent.
He was invited at ceremony held in the honour of newly-elected member Punjab Assembly Ghazala Saleem Butt.
The 57-year-old empire has officiated 48 tests and 98 one-day internationals. He was removed from the Champions Trophy panel this week by the sport’s world governing body.
That decision followed Indian media reports that he was allegedly under investigation in the Indian Premier League (IPL) spot-fixing scandal which has led to the arrest of three cricketers.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has distanced itself from the controversy, saying it had not been involved in Rauf’s appointment to work in the IPL.
The PCB last month banned test umpire Nadeem Ghouri for four years after he was found discussing spot-fixing offers during a sting operation by an Indian news channel whose reporter posed as a bookmaker.
