A tabloid from London has alleged that a Pakistani man, Mazhar Majeed, who is now under arrest, paid bribes to Pakistani cricketers to bowl no-balls and wides in the series, particularly the Lord's Test.
Match-fixing has periodically reared its head in cricket and cannot be regarded as a new phenomenon anymore. For almost two decades, there have been whispers in the game about matches being deliberately thrown. But in 2000, the cricketing world was shocked when the Delhi police revealed a conversation between a bookie and South Africa's captain Hansie Cronje. The fallout resulted in Cronje, Pakistan's Salim Malik, and India's Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajay Jadeja being banned.
This time, too, Pakistan's sports ministry has threatened to ban players involved in the scandal. But is this really a solution to the problem? Cricket is not a mere gentleman's game any more. It's as much about the money now. Money for throwing matches and indulging in spot-fixing is easy money for players. It might appeal to some cricketers as an easy way to make money rather than try and build a career over 10-12 years and submit to the vagaries of the selection process.
In such a situation, how can match-fixing be stamped out? Is banning players who take part in fixing a solution?
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