Corruption is notoriously hard to prove. You have to marshal watertight evidence, which must be compiled with ingenuity, planning and diligent attention to detail. The demanding nature of proving corruption is the reason why the vast majority of the corrupt thumb their noses at us and walk around with impunity. There is therefore no doubt that eventually all cricket lovers — Pakistani and non-Pakistani alike — will be grateful for what has happened. Not grateful that the players did it, but grateful that it was proven and punished.At the moment, the mood among Pakistan’s passionate cricket-following public ranges from anger, hurt and defiance to pockets of frank paranoia. There is widespread belief that players from other international teams are also involved in spot-fixing and match-fixing, which creates a feeling of victimisation when Pakistanis see that their compatriots are the only ones in the spotlight.
There is also disappointment with the Pakistan Cricket Board, whose general air of ineptitude has left a sense that it handled the matter poorly and should have done more to have it tackled internally. Many people are also invoking far-fetched scenarios in which the enemies of Pakistan cricket are blamed for entrapment and targeting of some outstanding Pakistani talent.
As the fog of emotions recedes, sanity is bound to prevail. Ideally, all spot-fixers and match-fixers should be caught. Regardless, there can be no argument that the ones who do get caught must be punished. And to be honest, the PCB could not have done much: the overwhelming evidence and the explosive manner with which this story broke in the world media immediately took the issue out of the PCB’s ambit and landed it squarely in the lap of Scotland Yard and ICC.
As for the evil designs of Pakistan’s enemies, the fact is that who or what has motivated this exposé is irrelevant. Pakistan’s cricketers may have walked into a trap, but they are accountable for taking those steps. An overpowering sexy siren may manage to seduce you, but ultimately you are held responsible for succumbing to the temptation.
The silver lining here — and it is a big one — is that this landmark development should go a long way towards cleaning up the sport. These lengthy bans on promising cricketers in the bloom of their careers will certainly be a deterrent to other Pakistani cricketers, and hopefully also to cricketers everywhere. Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir violated the sacred covenant between spectator and sportsman. There is no greater sin in sports. One has to make an example of it, otherwise the sport will cease to exist.
Deterrents to match-fixing are clearly laid out in the ICC’s Code of Conduct for Players and Team Officials, a formal 30-page document which has been ratified by the Council’s executive board and was last amended in July 2007. This policy statement makes it incumbent on players and officials to report “any approach made to them by a bookmaker”.
Players and management are also explicitly prohibited from betting on matches. Strict penalties are laid out, ranging from temporary bans and unlimited fines, to life bans in the case of “contriving or attempting to contrive the outcome of a match or any event”. Compliance with these injunctions is monitored by a security apparatus overseen by the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit, which has been active throughout this ongoing drama.
Ultimately, we have to recognise that targeted punishment of players is only one side of the equation. To root out the problem, it is imperative that corrupt bookies — such as the player agent Mazhar Majeed named at the heart of the current controversy — must also be tackled with exemplary rigour. There is an opportunity here for the ICC to develop systematic liaison with Interpol, as well as with national police departments such as Scotland Yard, which must be properly pursued.
The effect of all these developments on Pakistan’s cricket team is difficult to predict, but they could well spur it on to do better. This is a team that over the last few years has been through adversity of all kinds. With the World Cup days away and a major overseas win under its belt, the players appear to be hitting their stride. Now that the spot-fixers have been tarred and feathered, we can at least be assured of honesty of effort from the remaining players.
All said and done, you really have to marvel at the resilience of Pakistan’s cricketing fabric. Despite a recent past riddled with tragedy and controversy, everybody knows that all it takes is one magical performance from their beloved team to wipe away the tears. Since 1992, when they were champions, each subsequent World Cup has been marked by hurt and embarrassment for Pakistan.
The stakes are now sky-high and the team is up against it. Most tantalising is the format of the upcoming World Cup, in which wins over unranked teams will ensure a quarter-final spot, after which it is just another three wins to the title. This creates a truly open field that suits a mercurial outfit like Pakistan. The good news for Pakistan’s supporters is that their team fires best when cornered.
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