Dysfunctional is the word they are using. Its one we used to use in teaching when describing a family we weren't allowed to call a pack of arseholes, so I know what it really means.
Blind Freddy and his sister Deaf Doris knew that key Pakistani players were on the take last January. Australian arrogance and pride didn't want to admit that Pakistan had so controlled the game that they could manipulate the result. Their lucky break was having Ponting have a brain fade at the toss but from there on, money screamed from that result. Cricket Australia might have been in denial but even the ICC wasn't duped and have had key Pakistani players on their own books since.
Certainly greedy players must shoulder the blame but so must a cricket culture in Pakistan which allows this stuff to fester and refuses to run is own corner of the world game with precision and clarity. The constant shuffling of players and captains, the histrionics of players and volitile nature of the game in Pakistan from top official to fans breeds this type of corruption. The impression one is left with is that everyone in Pakistan sees the game as something to be bleed dry for individual gain. The approach is modelled on their political system which is even more corrupt. Travellers through that part of the world know that official papers are of less importance than folding money in bartering your way about the country. In a place where one's hand is always out, whether you be beggar or business man, cripple or cricketer, pauper or President, it's hardly a surprise that cricket is played within the confines of corruption.
What to do?
Tragic Ian writes, "alas, proof tonight that all things from Pakistan have a price if at good odds. They should be banned from international cricket for 5 years."
Unfortunately, he may be right but not because a punishment is needed which matches the average followers disgust at what has been happening. No, rather to remove the income stream from these bent bastards, allow Pakistani cricket to clean up it''s act by replacing income with incentive and to see off the current crop of talented but insanely greedy players. When Pakistan returns, the new players should be well paid and have long prison time threatened for further involvement with betting.
Whether it will work is another thing entirely, because Pakistan has corruption so deeply entrenched in all parts of its culture, many of these players would believe that its not wrong to cheat but it's only wrong to get caught ... or bowled ... or miss a run out ... or bowl a no ball ... when there is no money involved.
One thing is certain, its of no use banning individual players as others will just rise up to take their place. Pakistan as a Test playing nation, must be excluded. Apart from removing a group of cheats we recognise, it will also put others on notice on the sub continent and not just in Pakistan.
It remains to be seen if action against Pakistan or its players will create the "Blacklash" that the ICC has been scared of for ten years.
By the way, England won with ease at Lords, Swann taking nine wickets for the match and Trott and Broad re-writing record books. As well as England played, I guess their 3-1 series win means as much as Australia's 3-0 last summer. Where Australkia drawn series fits in is anyone's guess. In the end, Its hard to know what has been real, what has been unreal and what has been manufactured.
What a dirty way to have to think about such a noble game.
I was wondering why the keeper wasn't closing his hands to the spinners when he could have caught them
ReplyDeleteI just thought he was hopeless at the time
Wish I put money on them
You will watch in awe over the next few weeks as the power brokers from the sub continent spin their bullshit. Perhaps there may be some sacrificial lambs but the real core of corrupt activity will remain untouched. At the risk of a rotten pun......... the administrators have no-balls !
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