Can Cricket Recover?

Everyone seems pleased that the three Pakistan cricketers and their agent involved in the summer's spot-fixing row have been given jail sentences, although it has highlighted just how pathetic the ICC's attempts to curb this behaviour are. It has been very reminiscent of parliament when someone finally takes action over something that everyone knows is wrong, lots of people jump on the bandwagon and say how they'd have done the same thing given the opportunity, or that the ICC needs to have a long, hard look at itself. All very easy when you don't actually take any risks.

The real worry is the damage that these people (the guilty ones) have caused the game of cricket. Even at the time Michael Holding and the rest of the Sky commentary team thought something was awry, certainly with Amir's no balls, that were so far over it was ridiculous. And then the news broke that they were pre-arranged when the NOTW printed its story.

As plenty of media types have said one now starts to look back at games where extraordinary things have happened and wonder whether games were thrown, certainly ones involving Pakistan, who have always blown hot and cold during matches and series. Especially since other players' names are being bandied about as being involved, and not all Pakistani from what I can gather.

And will the prison sentences really deter others from spot-fixing? Asif was reputedly paid £65,000 for his no-ball, which is about three and a half years wages on a PCB contract - not bad for a fast(ish) bowler approaching 30 and with a limited shelf life. Apart from the fact that he was caught and has to spend a year in prison of course.

We have been in a similar situation before after Hansie Cronje was caught and banned at the same time as a couple of others, who if memory serves, were from Pakistan. Cricket recovered then and almost certainly will again. There is now increased pressure on players not to have a howler though, as they may well find themselves under investigation Spanish Inquisition style, which would be unfair.

Only time will tell I suppose, but I really hope the popularity of cricket isn't adversely affected by the greed of a few.

Pakistan's "Corrupt" Cricketers

Finally, after almost 6 months, the ICC has judged the 3 Pakistan cricketers at the centre of the spot-fixing scandal guilty and handed out what has been described as “lengthy bans” to all three. Salman Butt (26), Mohammad Asif (28) and Mohammad Amir (18) were all guilty of corruption and given 10 years (5 suspended), 7 years (2 suspended) and 5 years ban from the game respectively.

At least we’ve finally got a response from the ICC, who have dragged their heels on this matter hugely, and arguably have not gone far enough in punishing these three. Rumours were that Butt and Asif were facing lifetime bans, whereas Amir would get a reduced sentence on account of his age and therefore being impressionable. British police have also announced that they are charging the three players with corruption along with a London-based agent Mazhar Majeed.

The whole episode has seen the sport of cricket undoubtedly tainted as it was clear to anyone who’s seen the footage that Amir no-balls were frankly ridiculous, although Amir’s no-ball was close I seem to remember was his first in any form of first-class cricket. Coupled with the fact that Majeed had announced the very balls upon which the bowlers would overstep to the News of the World (arguably the one thing the paper has positively contributed to sport in general), surely their pleas of innocence would seem futile at best, and should, as they do in law, lead to longer sentences.

The fact that the three men pleaded “not guilty” only goes to show that they are essentially pathological liars, prepared to do what they can to get what they want, no matter what or who they trample over in the process.

In case you were wondering, Butt was the captain and set the whole deal up. As captain he made sure that the bowlers were actually bowling at the correct time.

It is fairly typical of the ICC to be lenient, or one could say, toothless. All three will be free to resume their careers in the five years (assuming that they don’t get off on appeal, which presumably all three will do), and only Asif’s career will be as-good-as over, as at 33 his pace will be dropping, not that pace has ever really been his weapon of choice. Butt and Amir will have years ahead of them in which to make money out of a game they have shown zero respect for. Asif has been in trouble before for performance enhancing substances where he has been banned by ICC only to have the charges dropped by the PCB on appeal – odd that the Pakistan Cricket Board overturn their best bowler’s ban don’t you think?

Asif and Butt should have been given life bans, and Amir 10 years. I can’t see these sentences putting too many people off, considering that the financial rewards for spot fixing can be enormous. Maybe the British legal system might dole out a punishment that really will put professional sportsmen off going down the same road. We’ll see as it will take a reasonably long time to get to court I imagine.