KARACHI: I think that the Pakistani cricketers who have been sentenced to serve time in jail by a British judge on November 3 deserved what they got. We all need to understand that for every action, especially if it’s of a criminal nature, there are consequences, and these can include being sentenced to serve time in prison. Had the incident taken place in Pakistan, the three would have never been tried, let alone convicted.
And lest I be accused of being a cynic, one only has to look at how the law treats criminals in this country. In most cases, they are let off without even a trial because in Pakistan the law is not the same for everyone.
The three cricketers have shamed their country and they need to pay for what they did. One can only hope that this sordid episode is a lesson for upcoming young players who want to play cricket for the country.
Of course, this is humiliating and embarrassing for us all. However, there is some good that can come from it, provided we learn from our mistakes. The only way we can protect our country’s dignity and eliminate crime is to make the guilty ones accountable for their actions.
Sadaf Khalid
Published in The Express Tribune, November 5th, 2011.
