Match-fixing allegations
Strictly speaking, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is right when they say that the Pakistan team was not involved in match-fixing on its recent tour of Australia that saw the side lose all of the games they played to the hosts. According to the definition of match-fixing that the nation has become used to – a team losing on purpose in order to get paid by bookies – what transpired was not matchfixing. This time around, the Pakistan team managed to accomplish a new historical low: deliberately losing matches without being paid to do so. It appears that some members of the team underperformed to humiliate their captain, the same captain who a few months ago led them to their first win in a major world tournament in decades. Their reason for doing so is yet to be made clear.
To say that the actions of this team defy reason is a gross understatement. Short of expletives, most Pakistani fans have little to say to the team. The bans and fines levied on several players initially seemed like a harsh overreaction. Now it seems that the PCB had unnecessarily restrained itself. But it appears that they are keen to move on from the episode, a sentiment one would be more likely to agree with if one knew what measures the PCB will take to ensure that such a serious lapse of discipline does not happen again. It appears that Shahid Afridi is being asked to captain the side permanently, no doubt a step in the right direction. The overinflated egos of the younger players need to be pricked and having one of the senior-most players continue to captain the side is a good start. There is obviously a lot more work to be done. But for now, Pakistani fans will settle for just some good old, honest cricketing fun.
Published in the Express Tribune, May 24th, 2010.
To say that the actions of this team defy reason is a gross understatement. Short of expletives, most Pakistani fans have little to say to the team. The bans and fines levied on several players initially seemed like a harsh overreaction. Now it seems that the PCB had unnecessarily restrained itself. But it appears that they are keen to move on from the episode, a sentiment one would be more likely to agree with if one knew what measures the PCB will take to ensure that such a serious lapse of discipline does not happen again. It appears that Shahid Afridi is being asked to captain the side permanently, no doubt a step in the right direction. The overinflated egos of the younger players need to be pricked and having one of the senior-most players continue to captain the side is a good start. There is obviously a lot more work to be done. But for now, Pakistani fans will settle for just some good old, honest cricketing fun.
Published in the Express Tribune, May 24th, 2010.