The much-touted resounding success of the Pakistan Super League matches is all but forgotten. In its place, a tale of corruption and betrayal. In short, the gloves are off. Or they would be had they been allowed in the first place.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) have joined hands to deal with the curse of spot-fixing. After the intervention of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar, both institutions have agreed to cooperate and share their findings and including mechanisms to eliminate this evil in the game of cricket.
The FIA had earlier approached the interior ministry with a request to place Mohammad Irfan, Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Latif and Shahzaib Hassan on the ECL. The spot-fixing scandal has become a centre of attention and a reason for critics to point fingers at the integrity of all Pakistani cricketers. Perhaps players like Irfan, Sharjeel and Lateef have not learnt any lesson from the tainted past of the trio, who were penalised for their involvement in spot-fixing during Pakistan’s tour to England in 2010. In the previous case, PCB set a bad precedent by allowing Mohammad Amir, who faced criminal charges and punishment, to become a part of national squad.
Due to weak accountability, players succumb to temptation and sell their conscience for monetary gains. Already corruption is taking its toll on cricket — otherwise known as a gentleman’s game. Scandals of corruption, spot-fixing and other malpractices are making media headlines. Unfortunately, players commit blunders again and again without learning any lessons from the past. Unless and until impartial investigation and prosecution leading to strict punishments are done, this issue will not be resolved. Those found guilty of spot-fixing must be punished by the PCB and FIA.
The commercialisation of cricket has led to the growth of betting mafia that in some instances even influences the decisions of cricket boards. There is a need to keep sports free of all kinds of pressure from shady groups and bookies. The game of cricket with millions of fans across the globe must be rescued. More importantly, Pakistanis expect the regulatory institutions to deliver and salvage their favourite sport. *
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