Musings on this Fixing "Business"

There's been a lot of deliberation among bloggers and in the media, on the nature of spot-fixing and whether it should be dealt with as seriously as match-fixing. My view is that even if an individual case of spot-fixing brings about little short-term damage, in the long run the consequences are potentially disastrous.

Whether or not the allegations made against the Pakistanis are proved incorrect, from now on every small but seemingly odd cricketing incident will likely be viewed with suspicion. From a player's point of view, the minute you agree to collusion with a bookie on even the most insignificant 'fix', you are effectively allowing yourself to be sucked into a vortex; I imagine it would be very difficult to say "no" thereafter. It is for this reason the PCB warned the players against talking to agents like Majeed, and this they can claim credit for.

Such pragmatism seems to disappear when I try to come to terms with the predicament Mohammad Amir finds himself in. More than anything, it's the thought that they're going to make an example of this eighteen year-old (whom many would agree was the best thing to happen to cricket in the last one year) while a number of others get away. The kid may not deserve any sympathy and should be brought to book if guilty; but considering Shane Warne got a year for the diuretic, and Herschelle Gibbs the same for being party to his captain's machinations, surely some clemency might be possible? Of course, these are no arguments. I'm just hoping on behalf of greenhorn Amir.

While looking up reports on this issue on Cricinfo and various online newspapers, as usual I found myself glancing through the various Comments sections. Now, these forums are not really the sort of places one should be looking in for well-considered opinions on the game; but I was still amazed at the sheer number of users demanding that Pakistan be suspended from international cricket for a year or more. These included Indians, Britons and even New Zealanders apprehensive about the fact that Pakistan are to tour NZ later in the year. There's a vindictive and holier-than-thou edge to all this, which I find difficult to digest. There may be a history to this sort of thing in Pakistan, but surely that's no reason to deprive an entire squad of matchplay?

After all, when the Hansie Cronje affair came to light in South Africa ten years ago, Shaun Pollock led the team in a one day series days after the initial revelations and, far from being boycotted, the side was applauded for playing through it all.

As far as I'm concerned, the unkindest cut is the increased scepticism I'll no doubt have to face from others when I'm caught watching cricket on the telly again. A well-timed "ah, this game's fixed!" or "man, he was paid to do that", is usually an effective low-blow when aimed at the cricket tragic. Certainly whatever went on at Lord's was a kick in the nuts in itself.