For cricket's sake, Izaz should just Butt out

Pakistanis reading this article should not jump to the conclusion that its agenda is to belittle them. Their ire should be directed at the people in power. From the President all the way down to the manager of the cricket team.

Izaz Butt has been labeled a “buffoon” before but his latest episode, where he accused the English of throwing a match, is high farce. He is somewhere between Falstaff and King Lear, but not as endearing as Dame Edna.

Editorials in Pakistan’s daily, The Dawn, have been scathing in their criticism. The paper reported on Monday that former PCB chief Khalid Mahmood slammed his remarks as “most ridiculous.”

“This is not the way to fight corruption,” Mahmood told AFP. “If Mr. Butt has any evidence of the same he should have shared them with the English cricket authorities rather than going public.

“It is hara-kiri and tantamount to suicide. This will further isolate Pakistan in the cricket world because England, Australia and India are the three most powerful cricketing nations.”

Butt tried to explain this as a misrepresentation the following day. He denied having accused the English. He said: “I am not saying this, it is the bookies.”

The question must be asked how Mr. Butt knows what the bookies are saying.

Imran Khan is a voice of reason and credibility and said: “Butt was wrong in leveling allegations. Even if any other team is involved that does not absolve you.”

But he cautioned against hypocrisy and added: “Remember they called Wasim Akram and Waqar Younus cheats for ball-tampering when they destroyed England on the 1992 tour and when England won the Ashes series in 2005 the reverse swing became an art and skill.

“There are double standards. When England had fast bowlers there were no curbs on fast bowling but when the West Indies had a battery of fast bowlers it became a threat and so many curbs were put against fast bowlers like restriction on bouncers etc.”

In an indictment of the current regime he said: “There should no longer be a PCB chairman nominated by President of Pakistan who is not accountable to anyone.”

Imran Khan has a point but that does not explain Shoaib Akhtar’s apparent “alteration” of the seam in Wednesday’s capitulation to England. Was this a willful cocking of the snook or was it “innocent”; if it was, the act of digging his spikes into the ball was calculated to alter its face. Innocent no more.

Spot-fixing may not affect the course of a match but it is cheating and there is enough circumstantial evidence to suspect the Pakistani players who have been suspended so far.

There may be more.

There may be other international players that are involved. There may be administrators, umpires and politicians involved.

It is not a coincidence that Pakistani players have been conspicuous more often than not when a scandal surfaces. It points to a culture that emanates from the very top.

Osman Samiuddin, the Editor of Cricinfo Pakistan wrote: “If the darkest day in Pakistan’s cricket actually does come, and talk of giving Pakistan a temporary break becomes reality, it will not be the result of any conspiracy. It will be the result of the worst administration ever to have run cricket in this land.”

In the absence of any credible proof the last thing Butt should have done is to accuse his hosts. This is like one of your invited dinner guests complaining about the quality of the wine you served.

The response of the ECB has been commendable and restrained. The chief executive Collier said that banning Pakistan from International cricket is not the answer. Strauss and his players are outraged and it is not surprising that Trott took matters into his own hands.

After considered deliberation the ECB has delivered an ultimatum to Butt and the PCB. Apologise or else.!

I have been an admirer of Pakistan’s ability to produce world beaters like Imram and Wasim and now Aamir. The sad part is that a young man, on the threshold of a remarkable career, could be so corrupted by those around him. What were these people doing? Are they implicated? These are all important questions.

What is a young eleven year-old playing for the love of the game to think when his heroes have feet of clay?

Justice Quayum in his 2000 report stated there were only a few clean cricketers in Pakistan. What he did not say is that there are even fewer cleaner administrators. Ijaz Butt owes his position to the benevolence of the President, who is the Patron of Pakistan cricket. But it is obvious he is no patron saint.

Ian Botham is one of many advocating banning Pakistan.

This may not be necessary as not many teams are willing to play them in any case. I would not expect England to invite them back before the next scheduled tour in 2013. India will not play because of the fallout from Mumbai. South Africa is scheduled to play them in the Middle East but this may not eventuate.

There has to be a strong statement from the head of the ICC. Complicating matters is the fact this happens to be an Indian. Will Pawar lead the way in banning Pakistan? He has said that match fixing will not be tolerated. This may well be empty rhetoric as the scene in India is not exactly pristine.

The bookies are largely based in India and there are questions being asked about the IPL. None of the major playing countries is immune to this scourge. Malik, Azzurudhin and Cronje are prime examples of captains being compromised. Warne and Mark Waugh were censured for selling information and slapped on the wrist.

To be fair the ICC did request Giles Clark, the chairman of the ECB, to call off the third ODI at the Oval. The game went ahead and the question must be asked: “Why” There are two sides to this. The more charitable is that the decision was made so the fans would see cricket. The less charitable centers around refunds and questions from the broadcasters.

Just consider for a moment that if there was no live telecast there would be no betting or spot fixing. This opens up a Pandora’s Box. Can cricket exist without television?

There has to be a political and administrative will to rid cricket of this cancer. There are good men in cricket. Kumble. Mark Taylor and Imran Khan come readily to mind. Of the current players, Dravid, Ponting, Strauss and Smith have impeccable credentials.

These are the men to restore cricket’s credibility.

Without this credibility cricket is bankrupt and living only on credit. Life bans for the guilty would be as good a deterrent as hanging.