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AAP Sports News (Australia)
08-30-2010
CRIK:Allegations could 'taint' Aussie efforts

HOBART, Aug 30 AAP - Australian captain Ricky Ponting fears some great individual performances
by his players will be "tainted" if allegations of cheating by Pakistan rivals are proven.

Australia's remarkable come-from-behind victory against Pakistan in Sydney in January
has been brought into question by allegations of fixing against Pakistan during their
just-completed Test series against England.

The alleged fixer was reportedly videoed in a British newspaper sting boasting that
the Sydney Test was rigged.

Ponting said he had no suspicions about the game at the time but admitted he'd been
forced to wonder since.

"Not at the time, no, I had no idea about anything like that at all," Ponting told
ABC Radio on Monday.

"The way we won was one of the more satisfying moments that I've had on the cricket field.

"And now when some of these things come to light is when you start to slightly doubt
some of the things that have happened. It's not up to us to worry about that anyway."

Ponting said he was concerned the fixing allegations could overshadow the efforts of
some of his players.

"The thing that I'm most worried about if any of this is proven to be true is some
of the individual performances that took place in that game," he said.

"You look at Mike Hussey's second innings hundred and Peter Siddle's batting and the
way he was with Mike Hussey that day and Nathan Hauritz taking five wickets on the final
day to win us the game.

"All of those individual milestones will be tainted as well."

AAP pbc/nh

KEYWORD: CRICKET BETTING PONTING

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