Over six Pakistan players have been caught in match-fixing scandals in recent years. The history of match-fixing in Pakistani cricket can be traced back to the early 1990s. At least two sports scandals involving Pakistan senior internationals have happened in 2006 (ball-tampering) and 2010 (spot-fixing).
Many players have received 5 to 10-year bans for partaking in these scandals along with some non-cricketers. For example, bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir received 5-year bans each for spot-fixing while businessmen like Mazhar Majeed received other forms of punishment.
Let’s see some information about other people who were caught in match-fixing scandals involving players from Pakistan’s cricket team.
Players Got Caught In Match-fixing in Pakistan Cricket Team
Salman Butt
The International Cricket Council (ICC) banned Pakistan skipper Salman Butt for 5 years after he was found guilty of spot-fixing. This incident took place against England in 2010 and Butt received the ban alongside fast bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif.
Atta-ur-Rehman
The Qayyum Commission Report on Match-Fixing found Atta-ur-Rehman culpable in the early-1990s match-fixing scandal. However, he was not convicted for his alleged involvement.
Mushtaq Ahmed
The Qayyum Commission Report found Mushtaq Ahmed guilty and he received a ban and was fined. He later became the coach of England after retiring from competitive cricket.
Intiklab Alam
He has always been a major member of ex-Pakistani cricketers linked to the PCB. Alam was fingered after an inquiry into match-fixing in the 1990s; however, he was never convicted. The former skipper got a pass after PCB became a prominent body after this scandal, but he remains a suspect.
How Many Innocent People Got Caught Up In the Match-fixing Scandal in Pakistan Cricket Team?
Many people played active roles in match-fixing in Pakistan’s cricket team, but many players have been at the receiving end without involvement in wrongdoing. Here’s a list of some people whose lives were altered during the match-fixing scandals involving Pakistan’s cricket team:
Zulqarnain Haider
Haider was in the right place at the wrong time; there’s no better way to put it. He played his first match for Pakistan as the spot-fixing scandal gained traction. His first game was against England and he had already recorded over 80 runs before trouble struck.
Haider flew to England to secure asylum and revealed that he was the subject of death threats during his debut season. He was threatened after failing to lose in the final ODI of 2010 against South Africa.
Four drunk cricketers on the beach
Pakistan cricket fans expect the best conduct from their players; however, some professionals have fallen short of standards in recent years. One of such incidents happened in 1993, when Pakistan was on tour in The West Indies.
Team captains Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis along with Mushtaq Ahmed and Aqib Javed were found wasted on a beach. Withdrawals from the QF fixture did nothing to improve their overall image. Some sections of fans also believe these players may have been part of a match-fixing scandal, even if there’s no evidence to support such claims.
Why is the PCB Engaging Ex-Players Involved in Match-Fixing Scandals?
There is no complete answer to this question and it has left many sports commentators baffled for years. The PCB has gone on to reward ex-players involved in match-fixing with recognized roles in the past.
Some players like Sharjeel Khan, Umar Akmal, and Mohammad Irfan have received convictions for engaging in match-fixing. However, these players have found their way around PCB officials in recent years.
The stain of corruption on ex-convicts romanticizing with PCB officials might take many years to go away. High-level PCB officials often complain about bad treatment from foreign cricket boards. A combination of collaboration with ex-convicts and security problems might be the reason why Pakistan can’t host a proper international game on home soil.
Final Word
Pakistan’s international image as a cricketing nation has faced several setbacks in recent years. Respective teams suffer from personal scandals, match-fixing allegations, and terror attacks on opposing teams visiting Pakistan. However, the PCB has done a lot to redeem Pakistan’s image through each saga.
Controversy in Pakistan’s cricket teams are not new and have been occurring since the 1990s. Players caught in match-fixing engaging the PCB in one form or another is a current problem that needs solving. Frolicking with ex-convicts should be a no-no for the PCB, even if they were former senior internationals.
