I was too depressed to write this earlier, and even now I’m feeling horribly sad. There are new betting allegations in cricket, this time involving “spot-betting” rather than match-fixing, and centring on the Pakistan side currently touring England.
Scandal and gambling in cricket is, of course, nothing new – we’ve seen South Africa’s Hansie Cronje brought down by match-fixing, for example, and Pakistan’s Qayyum Inquiry ten years ago censured some of their top players.
And, some may ask, what does it really matter if poorly-paid Pakistan players are boosting their income by overstepping a few times in a match? After all, that’s what the allegations are – that new-ball bowlers Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Amir deliberately bowled no-balls at prearranged times, allowing the “fixer” to put money on it.
Yet it has tarnished what has been a fabulous Test series.
18-year-old Amir’s boundless promise has been a huge contributory factor towards its entertainment. When the legend that is Michael Holding enthuses about a young bowler, declaring, “I love what I see,” then his potential is clear. To see Holding on television today, evidently hurt and disappointed about the damage done to the sport, compounded the distress felt by all cricket fans.
Jonathan Trott and Stuart Broad broke all known records this weekend with their 332-run eighth-wicket partnership, with Broad marking his maiden first-class century (and surpassing his father’s highest-ever score). Now, much as captain Andrew Strauss might claim it’s not the case, some of the gloss has inevitably been taken off that achievement.
Whether or not the scheduled one-day series, which is supposed to begin next week, goes ahead remains to be seen. “Fixer” Mazhar Majeed has acted as agent to several of the Pakistan players, but he is a property developer and is also the owner of Croydon Athletic. How this incident will impact on his future sporting involvements remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, back at Lord’s, Mohammed Amir won Pakistan’s man of the series award, and Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, refused to shake his hand, or even look him in the face. Amir has had a spectacular few months and is incredibly gifted – there is (as yet) no question that he’s ever given less than his best. Former cricketers have urged understanding, reminding us of the economic situation in Pakistan and suggesting that the consequences for refusing to obey orders would be massive and tragic.
Police investigations are ongoing. And so until some conclusions are reached, those of us who love sport are left wondering once more whether that last-minute miss, that slip from a fielder, that fumble were accidental or whether some shady figure has made thousands off the back of our disappointment.
