It was way back in 1998, that Shane Warne had opened a can of worms by claiming that he was offered money to bowl badly in a match. Match fixing was not a household term those days, and the curiosity that piece of revelation had created, trickled away very quickly.
Two years later, Hansie Cronje’s admission to the media and the subsequent match-fixing saga that followed was the most damaging blow to this gentleman’s game. Allegations, counter-allegations, banning icons from national sides and even suspicious deaths of stalwarts like Cronje himself and Bob Woolmer further tainted the reputation of cricket. Over the last ten years, an increasing number of people started to lose faith in a fair exchange between bat and ball. The T20 bash saved face a little bit.
However, last week, Pakistan’s cricketers got involved in probably the “mother of all allegations” – Spot Fixing. Foreign currency equivalent to almost Rs 40 lakhs was found in the hotel room that was occupied by their captain. Young, talented cricketers of the team had to be suspended from the England tour, leave alone the shame inflicted to this cricket-savvy country. As usual, allegations have been flying thick and fast, with RAW (Research and Analysis Wing), which is the Indian intelligence unit, also being blamed by Pakistan.
With just over 5 months to go for the World Cup in the subcontinent, cricket could have done away with such a taint and ignominy. Fears of terrorism has always made people think twice before they reach a cricket stadium these days, but now, there is no guarantee that the two teams, which are sweating on the cricket field would do so honestly. People do not trust the players anymore. Will the scars of match fixing ever heal? Nobody seems to have an answer to it.
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