The verdict was not unanticipated, the behind the scenes dealings had been clearly caught in living colour, and the damning money trail was there, with the skipper’s hotel room containing such a diverse range of currencies in hard cash that it resembled an exchange company. Our bad boys had been getting away with villainy for so long and with such blatant consistency that the fear of punishment never seemed to have entered their thick skulls. And while they were merrily at it, our amateur cricket monitors were either complicit or looking the other way. Initially nabbed by a notorious ‘sting’ journalist, who ironically happened to be a desi of Pakistani origin, Scotland Yard pursued and prosecuted the case exceptionally well, with forensic details so overwhelming that the jury was left with no option but to convict.
The disgrace is ours alone. With so many other crises, being the pariah of cricket chief amongst them, our cricket now has to carry the burden of this additional shame. If only the one-man Qayyum Judicial Commission of 2000 had been more blunt in its judgment and the PCB put its foot down instead of kowtowing before player power, Pakistan cricket may have been cleansed of this fixing curse then. The Qayyum Commission was another opportunity wasted, as its patriotic nuances were mistaken by those involved as another sign that they were beyond accountability. Fortunately or rather unfortunately for our cricket, at least in the short-term, the judge and jury at the Southwark Crown Court had no such intention. The tough response from there and the ICC’s hawk-eyed scrutiny of the cricketers finances may both ensure that the flames of greed and chicanery devouring our cricket may finally be extinguished. But no one can be completely certain on this point.
This task, however, should not be left only to the courts and the ICC to tackle. We need to be vigilant on our own too. More so because the trio that faces time in Her Majesty’s prison was not alone, they had accomplices. Four of them have even been named, of whom one has been a prime suspect since long. The new PCB Chairman should go after such culprits with the sternness that the issue demands – and also educate the vulnerable novices, like Mohammad Amir. Again, this seems a tall order. But the shame to which our cricket heroes have repeatedly exposed us must end now. It is not only late in the day, it is night.
Good Editorial, but if you allow me the media, especially the print section must take the blame for chosing to remain silent when everybody knew what was going on. It is time PCB itself cleans its offices of those who are involved and addicted to illegal betting. Everybody is aware of the role of Asst Manager, Security Manager, Coach and the senile aged Manager who accompanied the team and were partying with likes of Mazhar Majeed. Weak executives like Wasim Bari have no role to play, nor do old players like Miandad who has links with DON OF BETTING MAFIA DAUD IBRAHIM
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