Pakistan should be banned for fixing

Ian Chappell has blamed the ICC for not doing enough to stamp out match fixing in an interview with Matthew Slater on Nine’s Wide World of Sports Program yesterday morning.

Stuart Clarke was also present, and both agreed that this betting rort was the culmination of shady underworld figures and the sporting head’s lack of decisive action against wrongdoing.

Speaking about 27-year-old Mohammed Asif, Stuart Clarke told Hayden that the ICC have let Asif off the hook two times prior to the betting scandal surfacing. He states that Asif was first let off Opium charges in Dubai, and later on for performance enhancing drugs. The ICC’s stance was that Asif didn’t receive “training”, leaving him scott-free.

During this ten minute interview, Clarke, Hayden and Chappell discussed further the entire issue, and this exposed my disgust for this uncovered scandal. With Pakistan captain Salmon Butt under investigation, allegations have flown around media outlets about the integrity of this solid commanding figure. Has Butt pressured 18-year-old (Mohammed) Amir into this spot fixing rort? I am not going to present any solid allegation from myself against Butt; however the question must be raised to present an even argument.

Covering the same spectrum, it is highly possible that the three that have been accused (if they are guilty) were forced by underworld figures to throw the games under question.

Speaking of the games under question, over the week the Sydney test has this week come under question, as it was revealed that bowlers purposely bowled no-balls and dropped catches. This has definitely marred what was an amazing win and comeback by the Australian side.

Stuart Clarke however, on the “Wide World of Sports”, stated that the Australian Cricket team and the fans shouldn’t be embarrassed by the allegations, and if they turned out to be true, the Australian team earned their wickets, and played well despite a possible redundant performance.

On a personal note now, I believe that this whole incident sparked by the Pakistan team (or members thereof) is completely unacceptable, and brings the entire game of cricket into disrepute. What began as a gentleman’s game has turned into the salaries of shady underworld “thugs”. It is simply not on.

Bringing back a point I raised earlier, Ian Chappell has made a bold claim, that the entire Pakistani Cricket Team should be suspended from international competition in the midst of allegations, and to add to his claims I believe the entire squad, as well as the organisation should be investigated by an independent commission involving the national bodies of all cricketing nations in order to stamp out this unacceptable shadow of doubt.

Chappell has blamed the ICC for spot fixing surfacing in the game, saying that the organisation hasn’t set a hard enough stance on any issue that has been raised in the game. To personally think of examples, the Harbijan Singh incident and the two Mohammed Asif drugs allegation come to mind. Chappell mentioned that he believed the ICC should be run by an independent board governing the game.

To finish up, I am still extremely disappointed and let down by this whole scandal. The comeback in Sydney by the Australian side still ranks as one of my favourite sporting moments in several years, and to think that a side that I enjoyed watch play (Pakistan) were not playing to the full ideals of the game just enrages me. Hopefully in the coming weeks or months, the ICC can take proper action, and restore the image of this great and historic game.