subject: Sports Betting Scandal - Cricket's Summer Of Shame [print this page] Cricket doesn't usually receive so much bad press. In fact, cricket doesn't usually receive much press at all. While a few nations around the globe have a deep passion for what happens on the crease, it's largely something that operates on the periphery of mainstream media psyche. Dragging on for days on end, cricket matches rarely have any exciting replays or fiascos, and so sports journalists tend to concentrate on more fast-paced celebrity-laden sports such as football and F1.
This summer the spotlight was on cricket, but for all the wrong reasons. While we might look for ways to become passionate about cricket matches, whether it's by focusing on old rivalries or using previous bad performances as a motivation, allegations of match-fixing and bribes plagued England's match with Pakistan, and cricket as a whole has suffered a blow. Who wants to watch a sport that is predetermined and corrupt?
It was the News of the World, who soon after became embroiled in a phone-tapping fiasco, who revealed some astounding allegations about Pakistan cricketers being involved in spot-fixing scandals. What has been alleged is that bowlers agreed to bowl specific no-balls in order for large bets to be made. It's the last thing that any cricket fan enjoying the competition wanted to hear, and seemed to overshadow the great sporting event undeservingly.
Soon after, Ijaz Butt, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, alleged that England players had been paid to throw a match. While he said that there was "talk in bookie circles" about English cricketers accepting cash to lose a match, just a few days later he had withdrawn the allegation
Hopefully we can move on from cricket's summer of shame, and public perception of cricket and cricket players can move beyond corrupt charlatans abusing their position and the good faith of the fans. It's a sport which is an obsession in England, Pakistan, Australia and Sri Lanka among others, and while other sports might have huge, dazzling stadiums and events, cricket has a rural and urban appeal which is unparalleled by other mainstream sports.
