Cricket’s match fixing dilemma
Controversies have followed and controlled the global game of cricket since its advent. Many teams and players have been convicted and accused for match-fixing over the years. The involvement of bookmakers have surely ruined the spirit of the game and decreased public interest.
In simple words, a bookie or bookmaker is a person, who places bets on sporting and other events. Bookmaking in the beginning was illegal in the United Kingdom but since the inception of the National Lottery, besides being totally legal it is also a small contributor to the British economy. Most of the bookmakers are more profound towards sports such as golf, football, tennis, and cricket.
However, the recent shocking match-fixing scandal, involving the Pakistani cricket team’s ongoing tour of England and an estimated 20 million pounds, has gotten much attention. The controversy has tainted Pakistan’s cricket team’s repute after a sting operation “exposed” a “spot-fixing” scam by Pakistani bowlers, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, the two are alleged to be paid be a bookie http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mazhar-c75448 Majeed for throwing no balls in the Lord’s Test against England.
Such offers have been confirmed by Aussie cricketers as well, namely Shane Watson and Brad Haddin, both reported these bookie offers to team manager Steve Bernard.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Watson-c96326 was invited for drinks by a bookie, in his defence he initially thought him to be a fan and said, “I didn't think too much more of it until I found out a bit more information and that he was actually one of the illegal bookmakers”.
Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Shakib Al http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Tamim-Iqbal-c2640 have all been given an invitation by several bookmakers. The Aussie’s in general believe it is the negligence of the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit formed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2000.
No matter what the reality is, the current Pakistani team fiasco is raising a lot of questions. Senior and former Captain, Imran Khan, thinks the situation should be resolved with utmost urgency so that such unlawful activities can be stopped immediately. He suggested harsh punishment for guilty players and an awareness campaign for players about corruption and its consequences.
On the other hand http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ijaz-Butt-c64128 has confirmed since no solid evidence is present the series will continue in full spirit of the game. He thinks justice will only prevail once the reality is in front of everyone.
However, the Pakistani cricket team mess has raised a lot of questions regarding the creditability of players and national teams. Obviously, if all matches start to become fixed, cricket lovers would lose interest and trust in the game itself. Thus, urgent action is required as before, when players from Pakistan, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 were convicted and punished accordingly, so that the trust factor can be regained.
One can only hope that cricket is played in the same spirit it always has, as viewers from all around the globe watch this global game with great enthusiasm. Cricket brings different cultures together. Surely the ICC will not want to risk cricket’s future for the sake of a few players. There is no doubt that cricket authorities need to dig deep and ensure that the menace of corruption is removed from cricket.
Tags: