A tale of sport, ambition, and despair
Writing a novel on women’s cricket is a superb idea. Writing a novel on the entry of match-fixing in women’s cricket is an even better one. That’s because we have come across many reallife stories of former male cricketers and bookies, who tainted the game’s reputation by indulging in match-fixing. That is not the case with women’s cricket, which is rarely hyped. Omar Shahid Hamid’s fourth novel, The Fix, takes the reader deep inside the world of cricket in Pakistan. Its protagonist is Sanam Khan, captain of Pakistan’s women’s cricket team. Sanam, an all-rounder, comes from a privileged background. She has dreamt just one dream all her life: winnovel ning the World Cup for her country. Fatima Shah and Sanam are different. The vice-captain and an immensely talented batsman, Fatima is foul mouthed. Her father is a cricket coach but he isn’t proud of his daughter’s talent. That is the opposite of how Sanam’s cricket-loving father responds to her passion for the game. The team has several gifted players, and its success in the Asia Cup turns the spotlight on them. The team then attracts the attention of the mafia.
The Fix has all the ingredients of a typical best seller and its appeal won’t be limited to followers of cricket. Though this is a work of fiction, Hamid gives the reader a good idea of how the betting mafia works, how bets are placed, and what bookies usually want. For instance, they approach players and offer and money to engage in spot-fixing. How the players respond depends on their priorities and morality.
A crucial subplot talks about how some members in the men’s team had conspired to throw a huge match in Pakistan’s cricketing history. Will the women led by Sanam succumb to greed like their male counterparts? As questionable characters emerge from the shadows and certain players interact with them, the answers this question. The Fix has sport, ambition, tragedy, and despair. Love is in the air after Sanam falls for Faisal Qureshi, a former cricketer with a dubious history and wrong associations. Ovais Tawheed, another former star becomes addicted to alcohol and drugs and walks towards self-destruction. Dark truths emerge as the story hurtles towards an unexpected climax.
The Fix tells the story of betting in cricket and of how bookies lure scapegoats. The book does not take actual names but reminds the reader that some Pakistani male players have been allegedly guilty of accepting money to script pre-planned moments. A gripping read,
The Fix keeps readers interested.Hamid has delivered an important story.