Pak masseur was sent back from Champions Trophy squad over sexual harassment accusations

A masseur of the Pakistan cricket team was reportedly sent back from the recently concluded ICC Champions Trophy 2013 after being accused of sexually harassing a female worker at the London hotel, where the players stayed during the event.

According to a source, masseur Malang Ali was sent back with the excuse that his wife was ill in Pakistan, the Daily Times reports.

The source said that the hotel management had informed the Pakistani team officials that one of their female workers had lodged a complaint with them that she was sexually harassed by the masseur of the team.

According to the source, the team management then conducted an inquiry and found out that the allegations against Ali had substance, following which, it was decided to send him back home immediately to avoid any legal complications and another embarrassing situation for Pakistan cricket.

The source further said that Ali, after returning home, was queried by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and then removed from the job.

However, PCB's media manager Nadeem Sarwar said that an inquiry had been conducted against the masseur on the issue, adding that he had been transferred from the board.

According to the report, ironically, Ali was also accused of stealing cash and valuables from a player's room some five years back during the ICC Youth World Cup in Malaysia.

Stating that Malang was again back working with the national team because of his close ties with some players who have backed him to be with the team despite CCTV evidence and his suspension, the source also said that in many cases some senior players play an influential role in getting individuals of their liking to be posted with the national team.