Letting fixers go off led to this stupidity LEAGUE’S BRAND AMBASSADOR RAJA HITS OUT AT ERRING PLAYERS
ith the Pakistan Super League (PSL) being rocked by allegations of spot-fixing no sooner it started, former Pakistan captain Rameez Raja, the Brand Ambassador of the tournament, hit out at the ‘stupidity’ of some of the cricketers. In an exclusive interview to Gulf News, he said that letting in those who were involved in spot-fixing earlier into the mainstream was a mistake.
After Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had suspended Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif on Friday for their alleged involvement in corruption, the PCB further announced names of three more players who have been questioned in connection with alleged attempts to spot-fix the PSL matches. Pakistan’s tall and lanky paceman Mohammad Irfan, Karachi Kings’ opener Shahzaib Hassan and spinner Zulfiqar Babar have been questioned, though the trio have not been banned and will continue to play in the tournament.
Raja echoed the feelings of PSL organisers, who have put in a lot of effort for the league’s success. “There is frustration and anger because we have put up a great show here. So many important sponsors have got associated with this brand. We are talking about a huge bank (HBL), about a huge airline (Qatar Airways) and quality companies such as Nestle. It is very sad that has to be marred by this because of the stupidity of one or two individuals.
“The problem is that it is not going to go away unfortunately because it is an individual act and you would obviously want to curb it, discourage it and create an environment where such people do not say yes to such offence but at the end of the day, it is going to be a Herculean task.”
Asked whether the reprieve to some of the players involved in spot-fixing in England has encouraged players to again attempt at spot fixing, Raja said: “We did not make examples out of those individuals and we allowed them in. Obviously, these guys (who are now charged) did not learn anything from the experience of the trio who were earlier involved in spot-fixing.
“Unless you make an example out of them, unless you are absolutely strong on this issue and offer zero tolerance to such acts, some players will think they can get away with murder. So I still believe there is a lot to be done.”