Not Good Enough To Cheat

Salman Butt - no comment

Claims by player agent Mazhar Majeed, made in a recording played at the Southwark Crown Court in London overnight, that Australian cricketers are the "biggest cheats of all", seem to defy the bulk of evidence. They also have the smell of an old classroom trick: when caught with dirty hands you point out to the teacher the sins of the kid with the cleanest.

With Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif already banned by the ICC and therefore their guilt already confirmed, in this case they face not only time away from the game but time away from society. Therefore, just like Salim Malik before them, accusations made against the Australians, who have long championed the tracking down of cheats, has some appeal if only in trying to distract the media. In Malik's case, he not only tried to recruit Australians in tampering with Test results but he made open claims against Shane Warne and Mark Waugh. Both received slaps on the wrist which was poor administration of justice and not the only smear on Australian cricket that was self-inflicted. Most of them involved reactions to Warne's penchant for self-promoted trouble. Of course, the crime the Bumbles were guilty of was stupidity rather than duplicity.

Mazhar Majeed claims the Australians sell more brackets per game than any other international team. A bracket is a ten over sequence in a game where bets are made on runs scored, no balls bowls and any number of other things.

The claims are outrageous and the media could do well to remember that accusation is a long way from conviction and the accusers here have already been convicted.

Where many activities of Pakistani cricketers in matches have appeared suspect, no one single moment has been mentioned or even noticed in regard Australian performances by keen observers such as thecricketragics. The Sydney Test in January 2010 is often talked about in connection with unbelievable outcomes from disconnected sequences. Kamran Akmal, currently dropped from the Pakistan squad, gave a clearly questionable performance and the then captain Butt is a respondent in the current London trial, so enough said.

Australia's performances haven't been out of character in the past eighteen months, just out of quality. To cheat, you have to be in control of games. Recently, we haven't been good enough to cheat.

Recently, a committee of highly credible ex captains led by arguably Australia most direct and capable businessman, handed down a report to repair Australian Cricket. The only fixing involved was make Australian performances better. Steve Waugh has called on international cricketers to be polygraphed. Mark Taylor has a proved record against corruption in the game, being particularly outspoken in his media role. Alan Border is too cranky and direct to be bent. If dirt was under the fingernails of our players, it would have been reported by the Argonauts.

Perhaps, instead of reacting with disgust at these claims as many former players will rightly do, maybe disdain would be a more appropriate response. Shake the head and walk away. The Southwark Court will sit justice in laps of those who best deserve it.
 
The more important task should be protect young players in Pakistan who are prayed upon by the older, cynical members of their team whose creed is greed and would rather sell their ability than prove it. A lot of money offered by your hero to a twenty year old is irresistible on many levels, especially in a culture such as Pakistan's which has been so corrupt for so long, from top to bottom and across an entire society. A culture prepared to offer suburban succour to the world's worst criminal must be all bad.
Something Rotten in the State of Match Fixing - Peter Roebuck (SMH)
The Big Fix (Down The Wicket) - excellent comments from blokes like you and me
No Asifs or Butts - Pakistan Are Cheats - thecricketragics