Shane Warne has revealed that Salim Malik offered him a bribe of $276,000 to bowl poorly in the first Test at Karachi.
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In 1994, Shane Warne was just two years into test cricket, but still, he already was a threat to many. During the 1994 Pakistan tour, Warne was offered a bribe of $276,000 to bowl poorly in the first Test at Karachi. In his documentary, Warne reveals that Salim Khan of Pakistan offered him the bribe.
“We’re feeling pretty confident that we’re going to knock over Pakistan,” said Warne in his documentary Shane.
I knock on the door, Saleem Malik answers the door, I sit down, and he goes, ‘Good match we’ve got going. I went, ‘Yep, I think we should win tomorrow though’.” “He goes, ‘Well we can’t lose …. you don’t understand what happens when we lose in Pakistan. Our houses will get burnt down, out family’s houses will get burnt down.”
Shane Warne declined the offer by saying “F**k You” to Salim Khan in the process.
“I don’t really know what to say. I just sort of sat there, stunned. And then I go, ‘F*** you, mate. We’re going to beat ya’,” Warne responded.
Shane Warne was awarded the Man of the Match in the Karachi test, but Pakistan won the game by one wicket. Salim Khan, who scored 5768 test runs and 7170 ODI runs was banned from all forms of cricket in 2000. He had multiple fixing charges on his head.
Shane Warne on match-fixing during 1990s
Shane Warne reveals that he did not know anything about match-fixing and that’s why he never raised this point with anyone before.
“When you talk about match-fixing now, people hope it doesn’t go on,” Warne told news.com.au.
“Back in that time, 30 years ago, there was no talk about it. It had never raised its head anywhere in any sport. When he offered me that, it was a bit like, ‘What the hell?’ I was blown away, I didn’t know anything about it.”
Shane Warne took 708 test wickets in his career, whereas he also has 293 ODI wickets. Warne was the first-ever bowler to take 700 wickets in the history of test wickets.
