Cricket Special Feature: Sports greatest evil and sympathy don’t go along
Sportswriter and senior lecturer in sports journalism at the University of Brighton Rob Steen believes sport’s greatest evil is match-fixing, as it erodes the basis on which sport is founded. Because it undermines uncertainty, this is the reason why it is a bigger crime than the use of performance-enhancing drugs. The international cricket council (ICC) has alleged Pakistani fast bowlers Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif and Test skipper Salman Butt; the three have been suspended for their unlawful inclusion in illegal match-fixing activities with a bookie by the name of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mazhar-c75448 Majeed. These Pakistani cricketers were given the suspension orders during the ongoing tour of England.
Meanwhile, Pakistani former captain Rameez Raja and former coach Geoff Lawson, both have shown a great deal of concerns for young fast bowler Amir. The young talent has been a revelation during the recent four test series against England. He has successfully become a front-line bowler for Pakistan at just the age of 18, taking 19 wickets at an average of 18.36; young Amir has dazzled everyone with his fast swing bowling. The Pakistani former skipper and coach believe that the player is quite young and it’s too early in his career to be involved in such activities. The three culprits of Pakistani match-fixing scandal have been suspended by ICC. And many international and senior players have requested them to receive life-bans.
Raja says, “He had the world, everyone was raving about the talent and praising him. It is such a sad moment in cricket.” He went on to add, “Amir comes from a humble background, he is 18, with an impressionable mind, and if he has been keeping bad company, it's possible he could have been drawn [into wrongdoing]. But if that's the case, then the guys who got him in should be put behind bars because they've spoilt a grand career. They've infiltrated and spoilt a young mind, and it's such a shocking state of affairs.”
Lawson said, "For me, it would be a great tragedy if http://www.senore.com/Cricket/A-Young-c41367 man such as Amir, a shining light of hope, has been led astray." But he also added that Pakistan's socio-economic situation needs to be taken into account before rushing in to judge the alleged actions of its cricketers. He continued saying, “We must remember that we are judging these guys by the standards of our own country, when their situations are vastly different, the first time I met Mohammad Amir was when he was 16, coming to an Under-19s camp. He comes from a small village near the Swat valley and was delayed by three hours because the Taliban had closed the highway. That doesn't happen in this country."
On the other hand, former cricketers such as Michael Vaughan and Ian Chappell are of another view. They believe once a cricketer is clutching around fixers and crooks, no matter what he does, he just cannot let go of this dirty and unlawful habit. For Chappell giving a free-way or not taking a firm action of Amir was simply a stupid idea. Since, by law the young Pakistani talent is old enough to know what is right or wrong.
True, innocence can only be accomplished once found guilty. These allegations on Pakistani players are bigger than they seem. Match-fixing scandals are not good for any sports, as it ruins the trust of the viewers, leading them to lose interest in the game. However, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 Cricket Board (PCB) should take firm actions to resolve the situation, as it is not only ruining Pakistani cricket but ICC reputation is on the line as well. It is up to the officials to decide what is important here; young Amir or the sanctity of cricket. Amir should either stand tall or never bowl a ball again. Nothing in between should be entertained by anyone.
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