The reputation of Pakistan cricket has been stained on several occasions in the past. The recent ban on Umar Akmal is the latest case of match-fixing scandal in the Pakistan cricketing community.
Stars from the past, namely Rameez Raja, have fumed at Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) demanding stringent actions to be taken to reduce the rampant problem plaguing the country.
Shoaib Akhtar joined the bandwagon by demanding criminalization of cricketers when found guilty of match or spot-fixing.
“Why can’t you make match-fixing a criminal offence in Pakistan? You can give a jail term or seize the offenders’ property. It will put fear in people, the PCB and their legal team are being incompetent, why there is no legislation to criminalize match-fixing,” Akhtar stated in his Youtube channel.
“Now there are people who are asking PCB to bring in legislation to criminalize match-fixing. I want to ask those people what did you do when you held positions in the PCB. There is an urgent of bringing such a law, and this can only be done in the national assembly,” he added.
Akmal was booked for a couple of breaches according to Article 2.4.4 of the PCB Anti-Corruption Code in two unrelated incidents.
Article 2.4.4 of the PCB Anti-Corruption Code reads: “Failing to disclose to the PCB Vigilance and Security Department (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitations received by the Participant to engage in corrupt conduct under this Anti-Corruption Code”.
The infamous trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir, and Mohammad Asif was booked for spot-fixing charges during the 2010 England tour.
However, PCB pardoned Amir and staged his comeback into international cricket in 2016. Interestingly, Amir decided to retire from the longest format of the game, despite the board’s bid to make him a star, bypassing all guidelines.
“Why did you bring back Mohammad Amir? Why there are different guidelines for different players? You tried to make Amir a star, you bypassed all guidelines, and what did Amir do? He said I won’t play Test cricket, there you go,” questioned the Rawalpindi Express.
