Match-fixing fallout: Pakistan board could lose sponsor
The Pakistan Cricket Board may not be too keen on taking action against the players allegedly involved in match-fixing till they are proved guilty, but not everyone is in the same boat. Pakistan's kit sponsors, BoomBoom, have snapped ties with one of the cricketers allegedly involved in the spot-fixing, 18-year old Mohammad Amir. There is also a possibility that they could end their relationship with the entire http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 team.
BoomBoom’s decision to pull the plug on sponsoring Amir comes after he was one of the cricketers who was said to have accepted money from an alleged match-fixer http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mazhar-c75448 Majeed. Some of the other players named in the supposed conspiracy are Mohammad Asif, Salman Butt and Wahab Riaz. It is alleged they took money in exchange for bowling intentional no-balls against England in their recent test match.
BoomBoom has a two-year deal with the PCB and they have yet to complete a year with them as the kit-supplier. They also have a deal with Amir – apart from http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482, Fawad Alam and Abdul Razzaq – on an individual basis, but they have decided to call it quits with the youngster.
The managing director of the company, Ali Ehsan said that they were disappointed and shocked with the allegations. He added, "I sincerely hope they are not true. However, we are huge cricket lovers: pure and simple. We believe in, and encourage players to have, the freedom to play, fairly."
While BoomBoom clarified that their decision did not infer from prejudicial judgement on the guilt, they also said that they could hardly afford to associate themselves with anything remotely corrupt.
Ehsan added, “While the suspension of our commercial involvement with Mohammad Amir is not a step we take lightly, we nevertheless feel that it is the right thing to do while a judicial process unfolds and innocence or guilt is established.”
In a telling statement to the PCB, Ehsan said that the company was reviewing its deal with the PCB as well.
Tags: