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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Captaincy
Shahid Afridi has been appointed captain in Butt’s place for the limited overs matches that remain in their UK tour. This is not surprising, as Afridi may have held the ODI leadership role anyway. Five other players have joined him as replacements.
Veteran player Afridi, while not without his own controversies, is reported to have warned against association with Majeed.
Most cricket fans will recall a recent incident where Afridi, Pakistan’s most popular player, was banned for two Twenty20 international matches for attempted ball-tampering—where he bit the ball while playing against Australia in Perth earlier this year. The former test captain was also banned for matches for scuffing the surface of the pitch with his boots against England in 2005.
Gambling involvement is something far more sinister. Never having been linked with any match-fixing scandals, and although he has retired from test matches to focus on limited over cricket, the flamboyant 30-year-old batsman may be exactly what Pakistan needs to lead them through the dark times that will undoubtedly follow.
Severe Punishments
More than 80 international matches are expected to be investigated for potential indiscretions as the turmoil continues. Punishments for the latest scandal could mean the end of promising cricketing careers for the trio.
PCB has promised severe punishment for those cricketers proved guilty in the spot-fixing scam in the fourth test against England, which Pakistan lost by an inning on Sunday.
While conspiracy to defraud carries a maximum jail term of 10 years in the UK, a Pakistani lawyer has filed a petition to see the players banned for life and their assets seized for the shame they’ve brought on their country, where the charge carries a maximum penalty of death.
The Lahore High Court has summoned the PCB chairman, the federal sports minister and seven cricketers to appear on Tuesday September 7 to hear a petition calling for the players involved in the scandal to face treason charges.
While such cases by civilians or civil lawyers are not uncommon when a major controversy hits Pakistan cricket, court procedures are long and decisions can take years.
Cricket, like most professional sports, has been embroiled in match-fixing accusations countless times. Many are groundless, but the latest incident brings to light deep concerns for the reputation of cricket globally. The sport has been dogged by such allegations since the 1990s. With billions of dollars changing hands through gambling each year, as long as there are people with fistfuls of cash tempting players to influence results, cheatingt will be challenging to stamp out.
Players and officials are instructed to report any suspicious activities to ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) but questions now arise as to the unit’s effectiveness. Set up in 2000 following match-fixing revelations by South Africa captain Hansie Cronje, Indian captain Mohammed Azharuddin and Pakistan captain and Salim Malik, who were subsequently fined and banned for life, the ACSU pursues three objectives of investigation, education and prevention.
With the scam being revealed by investigative journalists, an inquiry and review of the ASCU’s effectiveness is sure to follow. It would appear they have fallen short on all three objectives.
Ignorance Not an Excuse
As former Pakistan coach Geoff Lawson put it in his UK Daily Telegraph article, the living conditions in Pakistan are dire and spot-fixing is much less important in that context. Lawson also describes the struggles players from poverty-stricken backgrounds may face, including extortion and threats to the players and their families.
“So when a player is accused of taking money, it could be a case of sheer greed,” Lawson wrote. “Or they might want the money to pay for a new generator in their home village, which normally has electricity for only two hours a day. Or they might even have been threatened with violence against themselves or a member of their family.
“While I was Pakistan’s coach, there was one occasion when a selector begged me to pick a certain player. If I didn’t, the selector said his own daughter would be kidnapped and he would never see her again. You only had to look at his face to know he believed it. In the end we got in touch with the president of the country, Pervez Musharraf, who managed to resolve the situation.
“Right now, for instance, there are 20 million people in Pakistan with no fresh water or sanitation or housing because of the floods,” the article continued. “That’s roughly the population of Australia, living without a roof over their heads. In that context, someone bowling a no ball for money is pretty small beer.
“But while this sort of behaviour may be understandable, that doesn’t make it acceptable,” Lawson stated in the article. “The players have been regularly briefed by the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit. They know they are supposed to report any approach. No matter how much sympathy I may feel towards someone like Amir, he cannot use ignorance as an excuse.”
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