Showing posts with label spotfixing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spotfixing. Show all posts
Sunday, January 17, 2016

How can you stop Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif from playing for Pakistan?


Posted by Q at Sunday, January 17, 2016 Pitched (1)
The bans are over and Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif, and Mohammad Aamer are back; the latter in international colors and the former two for their domestic team. Considering that they did not play any competitive cricket for 5 years and have now come out of the wilderness to get their first taste of cricket, it has been quite a remarkable comeback!

Let us take Aamer out of this equation given the support he was provided throughout his ban by the PCB, ICC, and current and former cricketers. Butt and Asif were condemned by all. They did not get the kind of sympathy Aamer did; not from the administrators, nor from the fans. The PCB did not provide them the same kind of support, nor did the board do them any favors by delaying the rehabilitation process till it was completely necessary.

So in a situation like this when one knows that the entire world is aware of the wrong they have done, how does one motivate themselves? Think about it. Butt and Asif went through jail terms. They served a ban for cheating their team, their sport, their country. They were not provided support by officials in the same manner that another player was. Everyone wrote and spoke about how it was the end of their careers. They were not allowed inside the academies nor did they have access to practice facilities. Butt was condemned by everyone for being the architect of the fix, while Asif had struck the final nail in his coffin full of offenses.

Everyone including me thought that their careers were over! We all knew that Aamer will be back, but none of us ever thought that Butt and Asif would be able to make a comeback. Age was not on their side. A 5-year layoff from any sort of profession is as good as an end of a career, let alone sport where mental strength and fitness play such a major role.

Ignoring what they did and only thinking purely about the mental strength and fitness required to compete at the highest level after a gap of 5 years, their comeback has been nothing short of remarkable. Butt’s 135 and 99* in his first two innings and Asif’s 2-22 and 0-29 are phenomenal achievements given how they spent their past five years.

There was always this remote possibility that they would perform at the domestic level, but now that they have (particularly Butt), what will the PCB do? They have allowed Aamer to come back and don the green; will they be as welcoming to Butt and Asif if both continue to perform in domestic games? It will be highly unfair if both are ignored despite building their cases considering that a fellow player who was accused and convicted for the same crime has been welcomed back.

In fact, the PCB has had to intervene and coerce a couple of players to accept Aamer’s presence in national colors. What will they do in Butt’s and Asif’s case?


I understand that everyone from the administrators to the players and fans believe that Butt and Asif are more guilty than Aamer was. Their respective jail terms also imply that. However, like Aamer, the other two also went through their terms and fulfilled all obligations that were required of them for the ban to be completed. Now that they have been allowed to compete domestically, how can anyone stop them from competing internationally? 

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Monday, October 12, 2015

Pakistan, England, and DRAMA!


Posted by Q at Monday, October 12, 2015 Pitched (2)
Pakistan vs England test series always provide entertainment, on the field and off it as well! Rarely does a series against England go by without one controversy or the other. While the cricket between the two sides has been extremely entertaining, there has been plenty of drama dished at us as well in the past.

Arguments with umpires, ball tampering allegations, forfeited tests, spot fixing, pitch tampering, court cases, you name it and we have seen it in a series involving Pakistan and England.

With yet another test series between the two sides starting tomorrow, here’s a look at some of the controversies we have witnessed in the past in Pakistan vs England tests.

Umpiring Altercation: GATTING vs RANA

Back in 1987 when there was limited TV coverage and barely any cameras covering the action on the ground, the naked eye of Shakoor Rana spotted England captain Mike Gatting moving a fielder while a bowler was in his run up (during the 2nd Test at Faisalabad). Rana immediately halted play and reprimanded Gatting for breaking the rules, and with it the spirit of the game. Gatting waving his finger at Rana is an image that has been played repeatedly on Pakistan television and the internet.

Umpiring Altercation: AAQUIB VS PALMER

During England’s tour of 1992, Pakistan’s pace attack was arguably at its best and England’s batsmen had little answers for them. During the 3rd test at Old Trafford, Roy Palmer warned Aaqib Javed about intimidating bowling to number XI Devon Malcolm. Aaqib had bowled a couple of bouncers and Palmer was not too impressed. Aaqib bowled another short one but it was not a bouncer from any stretch of the imagination. Malcolm ducked and the ball hit his helmet smack in front of the stumps. Palmer called it a no ball! At the end of the over Aaqib snatched his sweater and cap back from Palmer in anger and Miandad had to intervene to calm things down and also give Palmer a piece of his mind.

Umpiring Altercation: INZAMAM VS HAIR

Who can forget the episode with Darrel Hair who accused the Pakistanis of ball tampering and docked them 5 penalty runs during the 4th test at the Oval in 2006. Pakistan’s captain, Inzamam Ul Haq, took this so personally that he decided not to take the field after tea and forfeited the test match. The first such instance in the history of test cricket. Administrators from both sides and ICC officials failed to convince first Inzamam, and then Darrel Hair, to restart the game and an exciting test match ended midway during day 4 with the first forfeiture ever in test cricket history.

Ball Tampering Allegations

That wasn’t the first time the Pakistanis were accused of ball tampering; though it was the first time that they were docked 5 penalty runs because of it. No Pakistan tour to England is complete without ball tampering allegations.

It all started in 1992 when Wasim and Waqar swung the old ball so late into the batsmen that the English had no idea what hit them. They were so confused by what was happening that they termed it cheating and accused the Pakistan pacers of tampering with the ball. The British Tabloids were full of stories about Pakistani bowlers running their nails into the ball and lifting the seam with their fingers. Accusations were passed left, right, and center as the English batsmen continued to fall like nine pins.

The allegations continued during Pakistan’s tour to England in 1996 and 2001; and then finally culminated in that forfeited test in 2006.

The Spot Fixing Saga

Arguably the worst scandal to hit Pakistan cricket. Despite all the match fixing allegations levelled against Pakistani cricketers throughout the 90s, surprisingly tours to England remained devoid of such accusations. Besides one-off rumors about ODIs during the tour in 1992 and 1996.

Pakistan’s last tour to England in 2010 has got to be their worst tour there ever. In Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir, Pakistan had found a potent new ball pair that was right up there with the very best. Finally, Pakistan boasted a new ball attack as lethal as Wasim and Waqar. What could have been is a question that still lingers around the minds of cricket fans as we all witnessed the downfall of the two best bowling talents produced by Pakistan in the past decade.

The 4th and final test of the series was underway at Lord’s when the News of the World broke the news about a spot fix that Asif and Aamir has been involved in along with their captain Salman Butt. Pakistan’s cricketers had been caught in a sting conducted by the now defunct investigative British tabloid.

Every tour of England has been full of drama for Pakistan’s cricketers but there was none that had been as embarrassing as the one in 2010.

 Whether you are a fan of off-the-field drama or not, you can't miss action in a Pakistan vs England game, so use these bonus codes and pick your side and get ready for some non-stop action packed cricket.
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There are several more off-the-field stories like British tabloids reporting Imran Khan’s affairs during tours to England, Shoaib Akhtar and Shahid Afridi partying at Soho on nights before matches, and the famous pitch tampering that Afridi got involved in during England’s tour to Pakistan in 2005 that have added extra spice to Pakistan vs England contests over the years.

With Pakistan’s current test squad largely subdued compared to their predecessors, one doubts that we will witness drama of this kind in the test series that gets underway tomorrow. But then again, one thought the same about the Inzamam led team.

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Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Are Butt, Aamer, and Asif really worth it?


Posted by Q at Tuesday, September 08, 2015 Pitched (2)
Five years have passed since Pakistan cricket was rocked by the worst scandal ever in its history -then Test captain Salman Butt and Pakistan's two premier fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer were accused of spot fixing.

It seems like yesterday when they were handed 5-year bans from the game and jail terms for their role in spot fixing during the summer of 2010. There is some irony in the fact that they are once again eligible to play international cricket when Pakistan is gearing up for a series against England, the same opposition they played against last.

Noise has already been made by all three players about resurrecting their international careers.

Aamer's return is most likely considering that his return-path was paved for him 6 months ago when the ICC allowed him to return to domestic cricket, enabling him to play some competitive cricket before making a fully fledged international return. For Butt and Asif, it will be harder. They haven't played any competitive cricket for 5 years and both players are not as young as Aamer, who at 23 has a full career ahead of him.

I would place my money on them returning. Would be interesting to see what the odds are on betting sites regarding the return of these three cricketers.

Whether they will return to the Pakistan team or not is all together another question. Should they return is the more pertinent question really.

It seems a little unfair that Butt, Aamer, and Asif are now allowed to play international cricket again after disgracing their country and the sport on the international stage, while a player like Danish Kaneria is banned for life for coercing a domestic cricketer to accept money for fixing in a domestic game. What this means is that wrong doing in international cricket can be forgiven, while the same in domestic cricket cannot be? That is a bit perplexing for me.

And what about all the players who have represented Pakistan during the past 5 years with integrity and success? Is it fair for Aamer and Asif to come back into the team at the expense of Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz, Imran Khan, or Rahat Ali? Is it fair for Salman Butt to make a return at the expense of Ahmed Shehzad, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali, Mohammad Hafeez, Mukhtar Ahmed, Nauman Anwar, Sami Aslam, or Babar Azam? Definitely not.

These are arguments based on moral grounds.

Here's a look at how these three faired in the three formats before their bans, and whether their return is warranted on a statistical basis or not.

The records that stand out are Salman Butt and Mohammad Aamer in ODIs, and Mohammad Asif in Tests. In T20Is, all three had below par figures. While in tests Butt and Aamer were just about average, and likewise for Asif in ODIs.

I can probably shed more light on these three after comparing their figures with those of the players who replaced them in the past 5 years.

In test matches, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, and Taufeeq Umar have all performed far better than Salman Butt ever did in his career. Even Shan Masood, who is just finding his feet in test cricket, seems like a better test opener than Salman Butt. 

Azhar Ali and Sarfraz Ahmed have been a revelation at the top for Pakistan, and have performed better than most openers. Even Shehzad has a solid record that is comparable to Salman Butt's. 

Salman Butt was never an opener in the T20 mould and Pakistan have far better batsmen to do that job. Shehzad and Mukhtar have both performed better than Butt did, while all the batsmen in the table above, barring Nasir Jamshed, have a better T20 strike rate than Butt's.

It is quite clear from all this that Salman Butt has no place in Pakistan's international team for any format.

On the bowling front, however, the story is a bit different. 

In tests, there has been no fast bowler for Pakistan who has performed as well as Asif. Not even one who has done so as well as Aamer either, besides Tanvir Ahmed who appeared for a short time and then fell out of favor for reasons best known to selectors. In fact, besides Tanvir, only Imran Khan averages under 30 among the pacers that have played for Pakistan in the past 5 years since Aamer and Asif got banned. 

While there have been several bowlers for Pakistan who have done far better than Asif in ODIs; such as Sohail Khan, Rahat Ali, Aizaz Cheema, Mohammad Irfan, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, and Junaid Khan; there has been not a single one who has performed at the level of Mohammad Aamer.

Pakistan's pace bowling has definitely not been the same during the absence of Aamer and Asif, who together created arguably the best attacking pair Pakistan has had since Wasim and Waqar. It is unfortunate that they played together for less than a year and that their best years were taken away from them due to their own grave mistakes.

Once can only sit and wonder what could have been had these two not succumbed to greed and had continued to share the new ball for Pakistan over the past 5 years.

While statistically there is no argument about whether Aamer and Asif should return to Pakistan's colors; however on moral ground there is still plenty of debate.

On Salman Butt however, there should be no debate. Pakistan has far better resources at the moment to go back to a dead weight like Butt.

Butt might have served his 5-year ban from cricket and his jail term, but the damage he has done to Pakistan cricket deserves more punishment in my opinion. He was the captain of the team when all this drama ensued. That only means that he needs to accept more responsibility than both Aamer and Asif who were in a way coerced by Butt to bowl those no balls. Butt was in control of the bowers on the field. He was the sole decision maker regarding who to throw the ball to. He was the one who ensured that Aamer and Asif bowled those particular overs and the no balls on those specific deliveries. The control was all in Butt's hands. He was critical to the whole spotfix. Without him, it would not have been possible.

Just this fact that it was Butt who enable the whole fix should ensure that he never plays for Pakistan again. Ban or no ban, Salman Butt should never be allowed to don the Pakistan cap.

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Monday, February 2, 2015

Mohammad Amir - Struck Down in his Prime?


Posted by Q at Monday, February 02, 2015 Pitched (1)

In light of Mohammad Amir’s recent return to Pakistan’s cricket scene after his ban, this is an ideal moment to re-assess his career.

There is no denying that this young bowler made a severe error in judgement and he has paid dearly for it. However, even thought he has wasted precious time, Amir is only 22. It is still not too late to pick up where he left off.

In his years of absence, this Pakistani star may have faded from our minds. However, before his trial, the misguided youngster enjoyed many (uncorrupted) victories. Even though he has become a very controversial figure for cricket, in 2010, he was, in my opinion, Pakistan’s most inspiring young player.

Domestic Career  - A National Triumph

Cherry picked by the great Wasim Akram at the tender age of 15, Amir created quite a stir with his early performances. His first real breakthrough was during Pakistan’s U-19 tour of England where he picked up 8 wickets at an average of 16.37.

In 2008 he excelled in a tri-nation tournament against England and Sri Lanka, taking 9 wickets at an average of 11.22 in 3 matches.

This type of performance ripened him for an international career by 2009. It is heart-breaking to think that this golden boy was facing a scandal merely 1 year after his international debut.

2009 ICC World Twenty20

Although Amir certainly had a strong start, he really reached all new highs in 2009. Indeed, his consistently outstanding performance in every game propelled Pakistan to victory. Throughout this tournament, Amir sustained speeds of around 85 miles per hour and even reached peaks of 95 miles per hour in the final against Sri Lanka. At this point, he truly established himself as a world class bowler.

Test Records

Following his success at the ICC World T20 2009, Amir made his test debut in late 2009 in the 1st Test against Sri Lanka at Galle; he was merely 17 years old. The 14 test matches which ensued lead to a set of very impressive records as the table below goes to show. This bowling champ was really snatched from his prime.



With a strike rate of 59.21, by 2010, Amir was at the forefront of the cricketing world. Indeed, he was heralded as one of Pakistan’s finest fast bowlers.

One Day Internationals

The thriving bowler also broke batting records during a one day international match against New Zealand in 2009. On this occasion, he scored 73 runs, which was more than what any number 10 batsman had ever achieved in the history of ODIs.

England v Pakistan at the Oval

Sadly, despite his string of successes, England vs Pakistan at Oval is the test match which truly made history and not because Amir impressed with his bowling.

After the conclusion of that test, reports emerged that Amir and Asif  had delivered three deliberate no-balls during the match. It was said that the whole plot was put in place to scam bookmakers.

Mazhar Majeed was taped informing reporters, who were posing as gamblers, at exactly which moments the 3 no-balls would occur thus giving the gamblers inside information.

This infamous moment in which Amir collaborated resulted in his very public down-fall. This was one of the worst scandals in sports history.

What Now?

5 years later, the news about his return has been featured every where. The ICC has allowed Amir to return to domestic cricket sanctioned by the PCB, which will eventually pave his path back to international cricket once his 5-year ban expires on 2nd September 2015.

After a bittersweet initial career, the bowler will take faltering steps back into the game.

Amir has been able to train regularly so there is no reason why this talented player cannot resume where he left off. However, it is likely that his game will take a hit, as he is not in the same psychological state as he used to be.

At 18, his main aim was to thrive; now he needs to repent. He still has many critics out there, and many who believe that he should not be allowed to return. Some team mates have also been vocal about how they would not want to see Amir return.

It is not going to be an easy road back for Amir. It will be challenging, it will be demanding, and it will require double the effort that he put in 5 years ago.

I believe everyone deserves a second chance, but I also truly believe that everyone who gets that second chance must make the most of it because no one ever gives you a third one. 

This is Amir's second chance and he needs to grab it with both hands and make the ball talk once again.

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Thursday, February 7, 2013

Is Salman Butt for Real?


Posted by Q at Thursday, February 07, 2013 Pitched (1)
Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif, two cricketers who will never step on to the cricket field in Pakistan colors ever again, are in Switzerland for hearings of their appeals filed against their bans from cricket.

Sometimes I really wonder what world these two are living in. Do they actually think they have a chance to play cricket with dignity again?

Not only are they fighting their case, they, or at least one of them (Salman Butt) is also giving public statements about playing again.

Seriously?

"It may be easy for some people to say that a five-year ban from cricket is all right but what they don't realize is that for a sportsman like me - this is like a lifetime ban" 
No shit sherlock!

Did Salman Butt really not understand the point of a 10 year ban (5 of which are suspended)? The point was to keep him away from cricket forever.

And please, you are no sportsman. You are a bloody disgrace!

"Cricket is my life and every single day that has passed has been so painful because I have not been able to play. All I want is an opportunity to get back into cricket whilst I am still young and I can still play well." 

Oh so you can fix a few more games and corrupt a few more promising players? No thank you! Please stay the hell away from Pakistan cricket.

You should feel lucky that some people even allow you to comment on the game on TV. And luckier that some people even take time out to listen to your utter bullshit.

Hell I'm taking time out to write about you. 

What a waste seriously.

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