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The tour must go on
By Tabrez Janjua for Stani Army in Pakistan Cricket
85 Views
The PCB needs to drop Salman Butt and the other three named players with immediate effect
It’s been suggested by some writers that the remainder of Pakistan’s tour should be stopped after Sunday’s match fixing allegations. Fixer Mazhar Majeed was taped telling the undercover News of the World reporter that two of the upcoming ODIs against England had been marked out to be fixed. This has rightly raised doubts over the legitimacy of the contest between the two sides during the rest of the tour.
But as long as the players who the allegations were brought against are withdrawn from the squad, stopping the tour will serve no purpose. We must think of the Pakistan fans and the players in the squad that are completely innocent. We must think of the host nation and the losses they will suffer due to any abandonment.
The chances of the plans for the two matches that were to be fixed going ahead are pretty slim now. The issue has come to the world’s attention and any player would not even consider putting a foot wrong, pardon the pun, in the ODIs and Twenty20s to come. Should the PCB drop the suspected players – including Salman Butt who was refereed to as the ring leader – then the alleged plans to fix the two ODIs would have even less chance of going ahead. Though slight supporter suspicion will remain, the two points above would almost guarantee that the integrity of the contest in the remaining fixtures is maintained. Stopping the tour would be an overreaction and pretty pointless.
Yet for the good of the game, it is vitally important that the PCB take swift action in dropping the players. For the nation that has invited us to play, and for Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman who has been one of a very few who have gone out of their way to help Pakistan cricket in it’s hour of need, the PCB needs to act fast. There should be no problem in the PCB finding justification for withdrawing the players concerned as they are under police investigation. It does not matter whether withdrawing the players looks like they are admitting guilt, because the only way Pakistan can carry on playing with any sort of trust on this tour is by removing the named players from the touring party. Carrying on with them should not even be entertained as a possibility. Once the tour finishes, not only the players involved but also the complete set-up and administration needs to be looked at and cleared of corruption. But stopping the game right now is not the way to go. Whilst it is a good thing that these players are found out, it will only remain and end a good thing if those that do not deserve punishment are not punished along with the guilty.
At a time when the nation of Pakistan is suffering from horrendous flooding, the subject of match fixing seems relatively trivial. But just as life for the flood victims must go on, so must the cricket.
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August 30th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
No question the tour should go on. There is time for a full investigation later. The players concerned should be suspended and sent home.
This is a tragedy for cricket but cancelling the tour would achieve nothing.
August 30th, 2010 at 5:39 pm
@Cricket Balls –
Absolutely. I am surprised some people such as cricinfo’s editor even, have said it should be stopped. There simply is no point. Had the whole team and management been involved then there would be reason to. But because it’s just a few players, we can withdraw them and the game can go on.
August 30th, 2010 at 5:50 pm
Stani
Sorry for coming late to the funeral of Pakistan cricket, I was totally gutted during the last few days and didn’t wanted to write anything.
I think Pakistan should get suspended from playing international cricket this is the only way they will be forced to clean up their act and disband the corrupt board and get rid of corrupt players.
If ICC didn’t became proactive PCB will do it’s best to sweep every thing under the carpet as they did in the past, the managements have always been completely involved and therefore protected the players.
According to Mazhar Majeed the first two matches of the Odi series were also fixed, Afridi like Yawar Saeed tried to look clean by just saying that he already warned the players and team management about Mazhar Majeed but the same guy is his agent, don’t you think it was his responsibility to act like Rashid lateef if he knew what was going on.
All of these players are corrupt with the exception of YK. The factionalism is only for the sake of power struggle and Lion’s share.
PCB bosses will try to cover up the issue by handing over small fines or short bans to players under scrutiny for just spot fixing and will save their own arses.
Nobody wants to watch this WWF version of cricket it’s better for the game that these ________ get banned by ICC until a new team and a new board is formed.
August 30th, 2010 at 7:37 pm
…..any player would not even consider putting a foot wrong, pardon the pun…….love it lol…well done
August 30th, 2010 at 8:34 pm
Stani Army » Blog Archive » The tour must go on…
I found your entry interesting do I’ve added a Trackback to it on my weblog
…
August 31st, 2010 at 6:57 am
@Wasim –
I know exactly how you felt Wasim.
May be suspension will be a good thing but after this tour I think. We need to fulfil these fixtures and then take stock.
Ijaz Butt is already suggesting that there’s nothing wrong. Has the guy no shame?
This is another reason why players don’t speak. We all know what happened to Rashid Latif when he spoke out. Even today, he is still shunned by some in the Pakistan cricketing establishment.
WWE exactly.
I know you were the one mentioning match fixing when we were getting our backsides whipped in Australia. I wasn’t sure then, but you have been proved right in your suspicions.
August 31st, 2010 at 6:58 am
@Abz –
Thanks Abz
August 31st, 2010 at 8:16 am
A year out from International Cricket, and then to start again with a clean sheet, a new administration and a new team would be for the long term good of Pakistani cricket. The question is should this be inforced ? My view is not, let take a few deep breaths here and think about what’s happened here: 4 guys have attempted to defraud bookmakers by bowling a few no balls!
August 31st, 2010 at 9:58 am
The tour must go on… It is a chance for the Pakistani players to redeem themselves to some extent…
As for the tainted players, they need to be handled with care! Asif and Akmal have been in the wrong news way too frequently! They need to be dealt with severely. But Aamer needs to be given his second chance… he needs to be punished, no doubt! He needs to be shamed into realisation of the fact that what he did was completely wrong! But he needs to be given a chance of coming out better… a chance to redeem himself and fulfill the promise of his talents!
August 31st, 2010 at 10:32 am
I would like to call over Younis Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Hammad Azam, Yasir Arafat and Safraz Ahmed for the ODI series. We want clean play and criminals are unacceptable. Additionally, these players are the best back ups we have waiting in the wings. If we see the criminals take the field in the ODI and T20 series we all should protest and refuse to watch.
Its does not take an expert to figure out that spot fixing took place! Everyone sensible knows what happened and we have to take bold decisions and move on. Additionally, we can’t allow players who are under investigation taking part and representing the country in any format. Therefore, I have stated the aforementioned.
During this year I was a much improved supporter of Salman Butt and began to appreciate him much more to the extent that I rated him as one of our best batsmen to watch. I adored his off side stroke play, his wristy movements to find the gaps, his exceptional timing with those delightful cover drives and his dashing sq…uare cuts. T20 brought the best out of him and really raised his game and confidence in his ability, he began to find his touch. I was all of praise for his appointment as a captain and he was educated, intellectual and fluent with English and therefore would have portrayed a good image of Pakistan. However, now this guy has let me down big time. The most probably likelihood is that he will be remembered negatively and has damaged his reputation considerably. Shame on you Salman Butt!
LOL at Veena Malik saying that Asif and Aamir are no “matchwinning combination.” She obviously does not know what she is blabbing about here as both A and A have consistently contributed for Pakistan and are ranked up there with the world’s best bowlers. It’s our batting woes which have let them down, but both A and A …have been instrumental in catching the eye and triggering magical batting collapses with brilliant pace, seam, swing and attacking bowling. It’s no new fact that they have been performing phenomenally well in the last year.
August 31st, 2010 at 12:54 pm
Its good to hear the tour will go on!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/england/8953417.stm
August 31st, 2010 at 2:15 pm
Usually when the players are innocent they deny the allegations made against them clearly and immediately when interacting with the press. But Salman failed to do this and his expressions told the whole story. Therefore, one surely has to believe the allegations are serious ones and true in simple terms.
August 31st, 2010 at 2:22 pm
@cricket balls –
Yes. I think as long as there is a complete overhaul of the administration and the bent players are flushed out then I don’t see what purpose banning the team from cricket would serve. Of course, the big issue is who will do this clean up act and will it be done quick enough?
August 31st, 2010 at 2:23 pm
@Shridhar Jaju –
I agree. Everyone deserves a second chance but Amir still needs to be punished severely enough for him to understand what he has allegedly done and not to go anywhere near such a thing again. Despite what he has allegedly done, I think a life ban for him will be a loss to cricket, not a good thing.
August 31st, 2010 at 2:27 pm
@Maaaaaaaz –
I agree we need to bring in players Maz but they are delaying and I’m not sure what they will do. Take out the four named players and we’re left with a squad of just 12 and that includes no wicket keeper.
Agree with you on Butt. He impressed me also with his manner of captaincy but he was fooling everyone all along. He’s messed up big time.
I think Veena Malik’s point was in answer to the two guys in the studio who to be honest were talking out of their behinds. They were saying can we afford to lose these match winners and her point was what have we won with them in the side? She revealed some interesting things about Asif and his orders of nandrolone from the UK though
August 31st, 2010 at 2:28 pm
@Cricket Balls –
Yes, but I do hope it is without the players named by Majeed. If they are played, it will be difficult to watch and take seriously.
August 31st, 2010 at 2:37 pm
@Maaaaaaaz –
Absolutely Maz. Also, looking back at the body language of the players when the said events occurred, it is obvious that something dodgy is going on. At both Amir’s no-balls, Butt can be seen in the background looking at Amir’s foot as he comes in to bowl as if to make sure his young charge is going through with the deal. On his first no-ball, Amir over does it with the acting, looking down at his studs repeatedly as if to say there was something wrong with them. At both Amir’s no-balls, Butt was the first person on the scene and then took it upon himself to saw dust Amir’s footmarks in order to make it seem legitimate. Butt’s body language, dry mouth and stuttering at the press conference were also a dead give away as was Amir’s body language at the after match ceremony. Add all this to the point you made then it’s obvious.
August 31st, 2010 at 2:45 pm
…bad timing. Bad times indeed.
August 31st, 2010 at 3:07 pm
@Extremely… –
Yes, but it is an opportunity. All bad times and hardships give us an opportunity to put things right. After the trough, a peak.
Here’s a quote from the film Evan Almighty: “Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?”
I think someone in Pakistan prayed for the prosperity of our cricket. This is our chance, our opportunity.
August 31st, 2010 at 3:48 pm
TJ
On the face of it the evidence is pretty strong, so if the PCB play these four they will only drag Pakistani Cricket further into the mire!
August 31st, 2010 at 4:55 pm
@Cricket Balls –
Completely agree. We have already been embarrassed in front of the whole world. Playing these players will only add justification to the arguments that we brush things under the carpet. Not only must we be harsh and swift in punishment, but we need to be seen as being harsh and swift. But with Ijaz Butt at the helm, I fear the worst. The guy is simply an imbecile with a history of opening his mouth and then putting his foot in it.
Geoff Lawson: “The Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt is not a leader, he should not have the job, he is incapable.” “
August 31st, 2010 at 6:58 pm
Interesting approach from Chaudhry Ishtiaq Ahmad! See below
http://www.topnews.in/sports/lahore-high-court-issues-notice-pcb-chairman-ijaz-butt-over-match-fixing-212866
Many people would agree with Geoff Lawson, but sadly incapable people seem to be in positions of power throughout the international game.
August 31st, 2010 at 7:55 pm
@cricket balls –
Thanks for the link. I think someone from outside Pakistan cricket will have to do something to initiate the process otherwise Ijaz Butt will just sit on it. I hope Chaudhry Ahmad succeeds and he hasn’t just done it as a stunt to be in the limelight like out old friend Jamshed Dusti. I do hope someone somewhere, in parliament or wherever, is hurt enough to do something.
The police may have been involved in England, but unless there was a bet placed on those specific no-ball incidences that took place, there will be no criminal charge I think. It’s all about what happens in Pakistan now.
September 1st, 2010 at 12:05 am
never seen optimism like it TJ!!
September 1st, 2010 at 9:54 am
TJ – Your right charges are unlikely given the fact that the whole thing was a news paper “sting” and I doubt anyone did place a bet.
One good thing is that this story has exposed what’s going on in Pakistani cricket, it is not going to go away and it can’t be swept under the carpet.
Real changes will have to follow, any other organisation where something like this was exposed the position of man at the top would become untenable but cricket is another world so my guess is Butt will hang on and probably survive it!
September 1st, 2010 at 2:19 pm
@Extremely… –
Yes, but surely it can’t get any worse can it? Or are we yet to find out that Amir and Asif are in fact women on hormone replacement therapy?
September 1st, 2010 at 2:23 pm
@Cricket Balls –
So far what we have heard from Butt hasn’t reassured me that they’re ready to do something about it. I am absolutely sure that as soon as the allegations came out, Waqar and Yawar Saeed would have got the players together and asked them straight up, did you do it? They must know, the board must know but there hasn’t been any swift action taken. Doesn’t look good.
September 1st, 2010 at 3:18 pm
TJ. On the face of it the evidence is water tight:
Majeed was caught on film saying: “I’m going to give you three no-balls to prove to you firstly that this is what’s happening etc etc
and then he is right!
Either this guy is “Mystic Meg” in disguise or this was filmed after the event and its all a joke!
In my opinion its game over.
So what are they waiting for? Yes they have to give these guys a fair hearing but they need to start making the right noises now.
The guy is a buffoon !
September 1st, 2010 at 4:57 pm
@Cricket Balls –
Precisely. I did think about the point you have made about the video being shot afterwards but this would have to mean that Majeed and the reporter were in on it and were staging it. But, we know the reporter has not been detained, only Majeed so they cannot have been in on it together. Had Majeed said to the reporter this will happen on so and so ball in a innings which had already occurred, then the reporter would have known.
I think the newspaper has to have shown the police evidence of the date of the footage proving it to be before the said events otherwise the police would not have bothered with the arrests.
September 1st, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Just a little something i found looking at websites…there are a few more testimonies but ‘warners’ will do for now. Copied and pasted as is. From the MQ inquiry:
(Recorded on 9th April, 1995)
I, SHANE WARNE of Royal Antiguan Hotel, Antigua, DO SOLEMNLY AND SINCERELY DECLARE THAT:
1. On the night before the last day of the First Test on the 1994 Australian Tour of Pakistan I was in my hotel room with Tim May when I was telephoned by Salim Malik.
2. Malik said he needed to talk to me. I was surprised and asked him what about. He said it was private and asked me to come up to his room. He said I must come up to his room.
3. I went to Malik’s room. Malik was alone. He said words to the effect of “our prode is at stake. We cannot lose this first test. I means a lot to us not to lose. You and Maysie are the keys for Australian tomorrow, we don’t want you to bowl well tomorrow”.
4. I told Malik we were going to win the Test Match tomorrow.
5. Malik then said he could have $US 200,000 in my room in half an hour. I couldn’t believe what I had heard and said “ You’re fucking kidding”. I also asked Malik if he was serious. He said that he was and that I must get back to him.
6. I returned to my hotel room. Tim May asked “ What did the rat want?”. I told him of my conversation with Malik and May said “Is he joking or not? Did you tell him to fuck off?”
7. Either that night or the following morning I rang Malik and told him to fuck off and forget it. I told him that is not the way we operate in Australia.
8. Later on the tour I attended a Presidential reception the night before the One Day International in Rawalpindi. Malik approached Mark Waugh with ehom I was talking and offered $US 200,000 for four or five Australian players not to play well the next day. He suggested we could bat slowly and not bowl well-a few full tosses and long hops.
9. Malik said he wanted to discuss it later with Mark Waugh.
10. I was not present at any subsequent conversation between Mark Waugh and Salim Malik.
AND I MAKE this solemn declaration conscientiously believing it to be true.
September 1st, 2010 at 6:22 pm
Stani
Mazhar while bragging took many names he also stated that he was doing this in association with Pak players for the last seven years yet he only mentions about two matches one Sydney and the other the match against SriLanka in Asia cup, the biggest cause of our defeats have been our spectecular batting collapses he didn’t named any batsman other than Salman Butt isn’t that quite strange.
Even if the video’s are not dated it doesn’t matter the date and timing of the phone conversation between Mazhar and the reporter can easily be traced from the phone records.
Mazhar proved to be wrong on two occassions about the timing of the no balls I wonder if he was the main fixer or he got that information from somehwere else and decided to cash on it.
If he can’t be booked because no betting activity can be traced in relation to those two noballs then why the authorities are not pressing charges against him for the Sydney test he clearly admitted that he made 800,000 pounds from that match and Im sure a lot of betting activity can be traced for that match.
Im sure that illegal activity took place and the players are involved but was Mazhar the main man I am not too sure of.
September 1st, 2010 at 8:12 pm
Guys interesting stuff but this a totally different ball game. Salim Malik, Hansie Cronje were at something different and its all history. They were trying to affect the result.
These modern day match fixing guys are just throwing down a few wides and no balls, corrupt and disgusting yes but harder to catch! The only way to stop it is to issue lifetime bans to anyone caught to act as a deterent.
September 2nd, 2010 at 1:20 am
Gentlemen caught in earlier match fixing episode Saleem Malik, Ataurrehman, Akram Raza, Ijaz Ahmed, Wasim Akram, Waqar and Mushtaq were all from Lahore or atleast resident of that city and the ones caught this time (salman butt, Asif, Aamir and Kamran Akmal) are also from the same city …. is it just a mere conincidence or a point to be kept in mind for the future?!?!
September 2nd, 2010 at 1:53 am
@Abz –
Interesting. Regular contributor Wasim did actually send me a link to the transcript of the whole of the inquiry proceedings. I will have to dig it up but what was interesting is the number of times Intikhab Alam was mentioned. He was our last coach of course, the one on the infamous 09/10 Australian tour which included the Sydney Test mentioned by our dear friend Mazhar Majeed.
September 2nd, 2010 at 1:54 am
@Wasim –
I think some of what Majeed was saying was just boastful in order to clinch the deal and get the ‘investor’ on his side. He got excited and opened his gob a bit too much. I’m sure he’s regretting it right now.
Yes, good point, the phone records would have told everything.
I think before any charges are brought for the Sydney Test, it will take a lot more investigation to find proof. He could have been just showing off.
September 2nd, 2010 at 1:55 am
@cricket balls –
That’s right, but I think Abz was suggesting that this problem has been endemic in our cricket. You make a good point about how these players have almost advanced in what they do now. They’ve moved on, and are now able to make a quick buck without necessarily throwing the whole game or leaving themselves open to being easily caught…or so they thought.
September 2nd, 2010 at 1:56 am
@hameeda –
They are all Pakistani, and unfortunately, that is all that will matter in the end. I thought Amir and Asif were small village boys? (the village was small, not the boys 
….although some may argue that Asif has a small brain)
Come on now Hameeda, let’s not cause division now!
I think if there is a connection then it may be only through the fact that a) The players once they have made it will tend to reside in the big cities b) That is where the bookies are mostly going to operate.
September 2nd, 2010 at 8:31 am
Most newspaper entrapment is an outrageous piece of low life journalism but for once they have done the sport a favour.
Is this just confined to pakistani international cricket
I doubt it very much.
September 2nd, 2010 at 4:26 pm
@cricket balls –
It’s concerning me that the players are pleading their innocence. How do they explain the no-balls?
That is the feeling I have, that there is definitely more to come and not just from Pakistan. We have seen the Australians and the Bangladeshis come forward and tell of their approach by bookmakers and how they did the right thing and contacted the ICC. So there must be some who did not do the right thing hence have not come forward.