johnee
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We see yet another controversy in Pakistan cricket. Pakistan cricket and controversy go hand in hand but this time the controversy is not limited to Pakistan team or Pakistan cricket. This issue impacts world cricket. Some of prominent pakistani players are being probed by scotland yard over spot-fixing allegations. An english tabloid conducted a sting operation and exposed how pakistani players were bowling no-balls in a test match after taking money from a fixer. The fixer allegedly boasted that he had upto 7 pakistani cricketers in his pocket and the ringleader was none other than the new caption Salman Butt.
The fixer was taken under custody by Scotland yard and under the custody he sung like a canary revealing many dirty secrets of Pakistani cricket. He revealed that this was not a sudden or random phenomenon. Infact, this was the routine of Pakistani cricket. The fixer Mazhar Majeed revealed that not only were the Pakistani cricketers involved in spot fixing but also in match fixing. He told Scotland Yard that Sydney Test in this year's janaury was fixed. And the syndicate were making huge amounts of profit thanks to the Pakistani cricketers. He puts the number at 830000 pounds in just one test.
But all this does not come as a surprise to any follower of Pakistani cricket. There were strong rumors that Sydney match was fixed. The pakistani players themselves were making these charges against their colleagues. PCB even conducted some enquiry but gave their cricketers a clean chit. PCB's callous attitude is not limited to this one occasion. Mohd Asif, pakistani fast bowler, was caught in a drug scandal and was detained in Dubai. After many backdoor negotiations he was allowed to return to his country. Such tainted individuals were brought back into the team by the PCB. It is little surprise that Mohd Asif is also involved in the present fixing allegations. He had delivered a huge no-ball at the exact point of match which the fixer had identified one night before. One may wonder how someone like Mohd Asif who has just escaped prison can again commit another serious offence in such short time in such a brazen manner. Perhaps, because Pakistani cricketers have a feeling that they are immune. They have seen how punishments handed out by PCB in the past were reversed with in a very short span of time. So, they have become very casual with it. They perhaps believe that PCB will wink and nod as long as they are not caught. And if they are ever caught, then they will be given some kinds of strict punishment to pacify the public sentiment. And as some time passes, they will brought back to a hero's welcome.
PCB's consistent soft stand with its player has allowed them to ruin not just Pakistan cricket but cricket on a whole. The entire game of cricket is under disrepute. But why has the ICC and other boards tolerated this non-sense? Simple, Pakistan is too big to fail as far as cricket is concerned. Cricket is played by a limited number of nations. Even in those nations where the cricket is played, the audience is not always passionate. Sub-continent has come be the home of cricket for sometime now. After India, Pakistan is the country with largest number of cricket fans. BCCI the most powerful board in Cricketing world also needs the votes of PCB. Therefore, BCCI has protected PCB. So, cricketing community has given a very long rope to Pakistan cricket inspite of knowledge about Pakistan's dirty games. But now a nadir has been reached. The audience is losing their faith in the game. The followers of the sports do not know anymore whether the century scored by a batsman was due to his talent or due to the opposing team's games. Every ball and every run is under suspect. The guardians of the cricket have to take extra-ordinary measures in these times to restore the audience trust in the game. Otherwise the cricket is sure to be dead sooner than later.
Pakistan cricket has been in news a lot recently. It has been in news for the retiring of its players and their subsequent return from the retirement. It has been in the news for ball-biting by Shahid Afridi. It has been the news for Kamran Akmal's dropped catches which have been cofirmed to be part of match-fixing by the fixer Majeed. But never has any serious action taken against any culprits because the board of cricket in Pakistan is also hand in glove. Thus, the best thing for the world cricket would be to suspend Pakistan for 3 or more years to send a strong message to everyone concerned. Cricket has to take serious steps against match-fixing, spot-fixing, and even ball tampering. Yes, ball tampering is another serious offence that the Pakistan team routinely indulges in according to the fixer. Shahid Afridi may prefer biting off the ball. But according to fixer, the modus operandi of the team is not that. The fixer Majeed says that he often brought drinks to the players on the field and during this time, he would rub lots of vaseline to his hand. Then he would shake hands with the pakistani bowlers transfering the vaseline to their hands. Then the Pakistani bowlers would non-chalantly apply the vaseline on the ball making it swing immediately. Using this trick, he says, the pakistan team has gotten out of may difficult situations on the field.
So, suspend Pakistan from playing cricket at international level and hand out lifebans to the players who are caught to cleanse cricket. There is already a precedent. South Africa was not allowed to play cricket as it practiced apartheid. If a country can be stopped from playing cricket for non-cricketing reasons, then surely a country can be stopped from playing cricket for cricketing reasons.
Give your opinions.
The fixer was taken under custody by Scotland yard and under the custody he sung like a canary revealing many dirty secrets of Pakistani cricket. He revealed that this was not a sudden or random phenomenon. Infact, this was the routine of Pakistani cricket. The fixer Mazhar Majeed revealed that not only were the Pakistani cricketers involved in spot fixing but also in match fixing. He told Scotland Yard that Sydney Test in this year's janaury was fixed. And the syndicate were making huge amounts of profit thanks to the Pakistani cricketers. He puts the number at 830000 pounds in just one test.
But all this does not come as a surprise to any follower of Pakistani cricket. There were strong rumors that Sydney match was fixed. The pakistani players themselves were making these charges against their colleagues. PCB even conducted some enquiry but gave their cricketers a clean chit. PCB's callous attitude is not limited to this one occasion. Mohd Asif, pakistani fast bowler, was caught in a drug scandal and was detained in Dubai. After many backdoor negotiations he was allowed to return to his country. Such tainted individuals were brought back into the team by the PCB. It is little surprise that Mohd Asif is also involved in the present fixing allegations. He had delivered a huge no-ball at the exact point of match which the fixer had identified one night before. One may wonder how someone like Mohd Asif who has just escaped prison can again commit another serious offence in such short time in such a brazen manner. Perhaps, because Pakistani cricketers have a feeling that they are immune. They have seen how punishments handed out by PCB in the past were reversed with in a very short span of time. So, they have become very casual with it. They perhaps believe that PCB will wink and nod as long as they are not caught. And if they are ever caught, then they will be given some kinds of strict punishment to pacify the public sentiment. And as some time passes, they will brought back to a hero's welcome.
PCB's consistent soft stand with its player has allowed them to ruin not just Pakistan cricket but cricket on a whole. The entire game of cricket is under disrepute. But why has the ICC and other boards tolerated this non-sense? Simple, Pakistan is too big to fail as far as cricket is concerned. Cricket is played by a limited number of nations. Even in those nations where the cricket is played, the audience is not always passionate. Sub-continent has come be the home of cricket for sometime now. After India, Pakistan is the country with largest number of cricket fans. BCCI the most powerful board in Cricketing world also needs the votes of PCB. Therefore, BCCI has protected PCB. So, cricketing community has given a very long rope to Pakistan cricket inspite of knowledge about Pakistan's dirty games. But now a nadir has been reached. The audience is losing their faith in the game. The followers of the sports do not know anymore whether the century scored by a batsman was due to his talent or due to the opposing team's games. Every ball and every run is under suspect. The guardians of the cricket have to take extra-ordinary measures in these times to restore the audience trust in the game. Otherwise the cricket is sure to be dead sooner than later.
Pakistan cricket has been in news a lot recently. It has been in news for the retiring of its players and their subsequent return from the retirement. It has been in the news for ball-biting by Shahid Afridi. It has been the news for Kamran Akmal's dropped catches which have been cofirmed to be part of match-fixing by the fixer Majeed. But never has any serious action taken against any culprits because the board of cricket in Pakistan is also hand in glove. Thus, the best thing for the world cricket would be to suspend Pakistan for 3 or more years to send a strong message to everyone concerned. Cricket has to take serious steps against match-fixing, spot-fixing, and even ball tampering. Yes, ball tampering is another serious offence that the Pakistan team routinely indulges in according to the fixer. Shahid Afridi may prefer biting off the ball. But according to fixer, the modus operandi of the team is not that. The fixer Majeed says that he often brought drinks to the players on the field and during this time, he would rub lots of vaseline to his hand. Then he would shake hands with the pakistani bowlers transfering the vaseline to their hands. Then the Pakistani bowlers would non-chalantly apply the vaseline on the ball making it swing immediately. Using this trick, he says, the pakistan team has gotten out of may difficult situations on the field.
So, suspend Pakistan from playing cricket at international level and hand out lifebans to the players who are caught to cleanse cricket. There is already a precedent. South Africa was not allowed to play cricket as it practiced apartheid. If a country can be stopped from playing cricket for non-cricketing reasons, then surely a country can be stopped from playing cricket for cricketing reasons.
Give your opinions.
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