The timing of the blatant incidences by two Pakistani bowlers during a test match against England were precisely described in advance, sending the integrity of the sport into a tail-spin.
At the centre of the allegations are the recently appointed Pakistan captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir (also known as Mohammad Aamer.)
Butt, the 25-year-old batsman who led the team to its first test victories against Australia in 15 years and the first against England in nine, was seen as a long-term leader who would take Pakistan to great heights. Appointed in July 2010, his record up until Sunday was un-marred by severe scandals.
Asif, 27, while impressive with the ball—taking over 100 test wickets—does not have a clean record. In 2006 he was banned from cricket for a year after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.
Amir, at just 18 years, had collected 19 wickets at 18.36 during the four-test series against England. Naïve, and it seems, easily led astray by older cohorts, he was being touted as one of Pakistan’s most-promising cricketers in recent years—perhaps even one of the best fast-bowling talents in the world.
Fixing
“Spot-fixing”, where unscrupulous gamblers can rig the result of one incident, is simpler to orchestrate than “match-fixing,” or controlling the outcome of a whole match, which is much more complicated.
As news and details of the extent of spot-fixing continue to break, International Cricket Council (ICC) Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat stated in a media release on August 31 that a thorough investigation was underway.
“ICC, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) are committed to a zero-tolerance approach to corruption in cricket,” said Lorgat.
“The integrity of the game is of paramount importance. Prompt and decisive action will be taken against those who seek to harm it. However, the facts must first be established through a thorough investigation and it is important to respect the right of due process when addressing serious allegations of this sort.
“Make no mistake. Once the process is complete, if any players are found to be guilty, the ICC will ensure that the appropriate punishment is handed out. We will not tolerate corruption in this great game,” Mr Lorgat concluded.
News of the betting scam first broke on Sunday, August 29, before the start of the last day of a test match between Pakistan and England at Lords. British tabloid News of the World revealed extensive and damning details of recorded conversations with London-based alleged match-fixer Mazhar Majeed about three precisely pre-planned no-balls by Pakistan bowlers Amir and Asif.
“Majeed identified young Pakistan captain Salman Butt as the ringleader of the band of cheats. He also named wicket keeper Kamran Akmal and boasted he had a total of seven corrupt cricketers in his pocket, all banking huge sums from bookies and betting syndicates,” the tabloid’s report said.
Scotland Yard detectives are investigating seven Pakistani players; however, they have cleared Akmal of any charges alleged against him.
PCB has so far refused to suspend any players until charges are proven by police investigations. Butt, Asif and Amir, however, had left the squad to face Pakistan officials on Wednesday.
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