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‘All countries involved in spot-fixing’

Delaying live match telecast by even 30 seconds will stop 
spot-fixing and fancy-fixing, feels Latif

DUBAI — If you are a diehard cricket fan, watching the game may not be a pleasant experience these days. After the recent spot-fixing controversy, involving three Pakistan Test players, the fans are not sure whether they are indeed watching a perfect game, or a scripted plot is being unveiled on a cricket ground. The future of the game itself is at stake if the fan is forced to watch every match with suspicion. However, they have reasons to doubt the dubious actions of certain cricketers and many seasoned players believe that malpractices like match-fixing and spot-fixing are quite common in modern day cricket.

Former Pakistan captain and wicket-keeper Rashid Latif, who quit the 1994 tour in protest against suspected match-fixing by his team-mates, is one of the players in the forefront of waging a constant fight against this menace which is killing the sport. He still believes a lot of malpractices are prevalent in the game and has urged the International Cricket Council to take immediate action to save the game from corruption.

“Malpractices like spot-fixing and fancy-fixing are happening in international cricket. It is not Pakistan alone … all countries are involved in it,” Latif, now the Afghanistan coach, told Khaleej Times on the sidelines of a function organised by Nazir Bhatri in Dubai on Wednesday night to felicitate Afghanistan players. The entire Afghanistan team participated in the function at the Barbecue Delights, The Walk, Jumeirah Beach Residence.

Detailing the malpractices, Latif said: “If you play in a one-day international or Twenty20 cricket, and deliberately allow a maiden over to be bowled, then one could earn up to Rs50 lakh. Cricket is a lucrative business now. A lot of money is coming into it since the last 15 years.” A seasoned cricketer, according to Latif, will be able to spot an instance of fixing. “It is easier for a seasoned player to make out whether a match is fixed or not. So also, if an international or first-class player watches the match, he can understand if any improper action happened in that particular game,’’ he explained.

Latif believes it is easy to control at least spot-fixing. “The ICC and respective boards can take action. If there is a delay of even 30 seconds in the live telecast of international matches, spot-fixing and fancy-fixing would be finished completely.”

Asked about the action to be taken against Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer, Latif is very vocal. “If they are guilty, there should be a life ban,” he added.

Afghanistan hopes

Latif, who recently quit his post as Pakistan national academy’s wicket-keeping coach, has high hopes from Afghanistan. “I have a lot of expectations from this team. They have the potential to earn a Test status in two-three years. Even now, this team can match the likes of Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. Afghanistan have talented players and can compete in any format of the game. I accepted this job because it is a challenging one and I love to take challenges.

Latif, who played 37 Tests and 166 one-day internationals for Pakistan, said all-rounders are the main strength of the Afghanistan team. “We have a lot of good all-rounders. They are our strength. We have a lot of depth in batting because our bowlers can also bat effectively,” he pointed out.

The 41-year-old coach also urged the South Asian countries to support his team. “We need support from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in order to get proper tours. England are supporting Ireland and Scotland by arranging matches for them. We are looking at our neighbouring countries for getting proper cricket tours.

“We know that they have a lot of international commitments and tight schedule. But our team needs support to develop their skills in an effective manner. We were willing to tour Pakistan, but they turned down our offer,” he added.

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