English Cricketers also match-fixers??-ICC urged to do its job
It seems as if the international cricket arena is currently faced with difficulties in resolving the corruption issue in the game. Many have urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to do its job and get rid of the malpractices. The recent allegations
against English team were probably based on England’s surprising change in run-rate during the 3rd ODI against Pakistan.
Same match-fixing accusations had led to the suspension of three Pakistani players which included the Test Skipper, Salman Butt along with two fast bowlers, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ijaz-Butt-c64128, has shown a great
deal of concern and anger on the matter.
Butt has questioned the credentials of ICC, ECB and the English players, while referring to the spot-fixing scandal against the Pakistani players as a conspiracy. The question might arise that has Butt got any proof in support of his claims? But the answer
can be given that was the same protocol applied to Pakistani players while they were being first accused.
After the 3rd Pak-Eng ODI, the ICC announced to investigate the English players also for their alleged involvement in match-fixing but the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was quick to arrange a meeting, requesting ICC in the end to provide
information regarding the allegations.
Meanwhile, England’s Skipper, Andrew Strauss, has urged ICC to do its job efficiently. He believes that the truth would be ugly for most to encompass but he still argued that if the relevant course of action isn’t taken now, the issue will only return in
the future with greater vengeance.
Strauss said, “There is no doubt that we need to get into a situation where every team in international cricket we are sure is 100% clean. How we go about that is the sixty million dollar question. It's going to be hard to root out people
if they are doing it and it's going to be a long-winded and painful affair if people take it seriously. The last thing I want is things to be swept under the carpet because we'll have to deal with them again in the future and it will be worse. Each time these
things come out it chips away at the game of cricket."
After the initial spot-fixing allegations, a drastic reduction in the crowd was experienced during the T20 matches but the interest of English audience remained in the 3rd ODI. But now, after fresh allegations, the English skipper
and also the ECB have doubts regarding who will show up or not? Andrew commented, “I just don't see how we can do anything different, because we have no idea as to whether these allegations are at all credible or not. It would be wrong for us to vote with
our feet on something that may be just a crank call. We just don't know. The only thing you can say is give the benefit of the doubt that these allegations are well off the mark. That is certainly my attitude at the moment - because I would be dumbfounded
if it was taking place after everything that has gone on in the Test series."
It seems that only time would be the better judge of things but one can hope that the game of cricket doesn’t lose its integrity that it made over 100 years.
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