The spot fixing

I am disappointed, angry and to say it very best, "in a state of disbelief" . Pakistan cricket team has been performing quite poorly recently, but that's normal. That's not something shocking or something which needs to be worried about. What is shocking is allegations on Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Lateef.

Picture taken from PTV Sports

I could hear the echoes of spot fixing scandal from Lords 2010. I still can not believe it that these players are involved in spot fixing. I am still hoping, in fact praying that these allegations are just allegations. But it seems like they have really done it. Once again they have brought shame to Pakistan, once again they have reminded the world about label which keeps haunting Pakistan cricket, the label of "match fixers".

One thing i can not comprehend is, why they do this ? Take that out of the equation that they were unaware. To me it seems the only motive was quick money. I just did a quick google search and i got to know that Sharjeel Khan was on central contract earning 20000 PKRs . Apart from that he was in Diamond class players category in PSL and was suppose to recieved US$70,000 for playing PSL. Add to it the match fees which is around 125000PKRs for T20I , 250000PKRs for ODI and 400000PKRs for Test match. I have not written here the performance related bonuses and the earnings from sponsorship.  Now do your math and tell me did he really needed to do that spot fixing ? I still hope that he didnt...


Still can not find the answer, why they did it...

I was always against giving a second chance to the sport fixers from Lords episode. Pakistan cricket surely could do without those players. Mohammad Amir is an example of that, he is not anymore the special talent he was 7 years ago. He has performed either on average or below average since his re inclusion. He should have been banned for life along with others. If they were banned for life, it would served as deterrent against any future spot fixing.

The players are ambassadors of a country, they are always under the microscope. They have to be responsible because they carry the responsibility of representing a whole nation. Unfortunately time and again we had players for whom national pride was less valuable than few dollars.

I still hope that these players will be proven not guilty. I still hope that allegations will turn out to be false. But if God forbid, they turn out to be true, than these players must be banned for life. They should be put in jail for corrupting against the name of country. They should not be treated with any sympathy.

Another loss another heart break

I dont even remember since what age i have been following cricket. The earliest memory i could think of is probably when i was 8-9 years old and seen my father watching test match on TV with some of his friends at home. 

The only thing i could remember is that there was red ball, a guy was coming having it in his hand and than throwing it at the guy in front of him standing with full protection on his head, arms, hands. I remember the guy with full protection would hit the this red ball and some guys dressed in white would run behind it. But they would stop running if the ball would reach a rope. 

Since that day i started asking questions from my father about this strange game called "Cricket". So my love and hate relationship with Cricket has continued ever since.

I probably will do another post to shed some more light on this relationship, but what i want to write about here today is the Test match which Pakistan lost today to Austrlia. It always hurts when Pakistan loses. But it hurts even more when they lose from positions where no one else could lose. 

Today's match was the 2nd in 3 test match series. Pakistan has already lost the first one. Although they got alot of praise the way they battled in that match.