Cricket’s continued disgrace

Disgraced Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif’s last-ditch efforts to revive what is left of their careers have gone in vain. The Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected their appeals on April 17, which they had filed after the International Cricket Council imposed a minimum ban of five years over their role in the spot-fixing scandal of 2010. Since then, the two have used every opportunity to plead innocence and hopelessly tried to gain sympathy from the public they perceive as gullible.

Mohammad Amir, who was also banned in the same case, did admit his wrongdoing in the matter; however, it is painful to see Salman still remaining adamant on his original stance that he had been framed. If anyone believes him, then the only plausible explanation is that someone really went out of their way to ensure that he is proved guilty. But it is said that the first step of grief is denial and we, as a nation, are proof of that. Umpire Nadeem Ghauri, who was caught through a sting operation carried out by an Indian television channel, was shown to be willing to give favourable decisions. The Pakistan Cricket Board conducted an inquiry after gathering the unedited footage and consequently banned him, along with another umpire, following the surfacing of sufficient proof that showed his intent of committing a crime and for failing to report the approach made. The latter, keeping in mind the spot-fixing fiasco in 2010, is a much graver offence.

We tend to have a “victim complex”, believing that Pakistanis are targeted or the entire world is out to get us. Even if one were to concede that point, then there is a reason why this happens. It is because, as a nation, we are used to experiencing corruption everywhere around us — even at the most basic level. It does not scare us and we do not shy away from it. So, it should come as no surprise that we are willing to take part in it. However, denying wrongdoing even after guilt has been confirmed is a new low, even for us.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 19^th, 2013.