“We knew that they are going to do something wrong. We decided that let them commit the crime”, this is what PSL Chairman Najam Sethi had uttered while suspending Khalid Latif and Sharjeel Khan amid spot-fixing allegations during the second edition of the League in UAE last month.
Sethi sounded absolutely boastful when he publically washed the dirty linen. Informed cricket circles who observe the Game of Gentleman with great passion and sincerity knew from the beginning that both Khalid and Sharjeel have been made scapegoats to save big fish associated either with the PCB or the PSL.
In last few days the spot-fixing issue has taken intriguing twists and more startling revelations would surface if a fair and transparent investigation is conducted.
My senior fellow at the Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad and Federal Minister Ch. Nisar Ali Khan has resolved to make this land a hell for the spot-fixers and their facilitators. Sethi has opposed him.
After suspension of two cricketers Sethi played his cards with extreme care. His confidence further enhanced after the successful holding of PSL final in Lahore. After the final the suspended players were directed to appear before the head of the PCB anti-corruption unit where they were persuaded to accept their crime in return of a minor punishment and fine.
Both Khalid and Sharjeel resisted and threatened to go to the court. That forced the PCB to constitute a Tribunal headed by Asghar Hyder, a former legal advisor of the Board with Lt-Gen (retd) Tauqir Zia, a former chairman of the Board and a former Test cricketer Wasim Bari, a thorough YES MAN.
It was another attempt to lure the suspended cricketers. Meanwhile, names of some others players were included in the list of spot-fixers. They were also summoned by the PCB.
Sethi who doesn’t do anything incautiously has been caught on the hop amid investigation by the FIA investigation. He had never thought of facing that kind of embarrassment. He was enjoying a spree time and wishing to make PSL a private limited company under his command.
That is another story that his PSL has not been registered yet by the Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan, despite a recommendatory letter from a powerful federal minister.
However, Ch. Nisar’s resolve to investigate spot-fixing issue completely baffled Sethi who was recovering from a hard blow amidst ‘Go Nawaz Go’ slogans in the Gaddafi Stadium. He confronted with dabang Ch. Nisar who in the wake of a letter from the PCB took a unique action against the players. Khalid, Mohammed Irfan, Sharjeel and Shahzeb Hasan appeared before a Cyber Crime team of FIA and recorded their statements.
The FIA acted swiftly and put names of Mohammad Irfan, Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Latif and Shahzeb Hassan on ECL. This further puzzled Sethi who had planned to settle the issue within the walls of the Gaddafi Stadium.
While Sethi has vehemently opposed an investigation by FIA Ch. Nisar is of the opinion that the cricketers had brought shame to Pakistan’s name and a detailed probe would ensure clarity of the country’s vision on corruption.
He resolved that the government would make this land a hell for the match/spot fixers and their facilitators. Former cricket greats have backed the interior minister to carry a thorough investigation into the spot-fixing issue inflicting Pakistan cricket.
In their opinion Sethi is making false claims that an investigation by the FIA would offend the ICC. According to them Sethi’s utterance is nothing more than ‘Chor Machay Shore’. They opine that it was London Metropolitan Police that investigated a case against Salman Butt, Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Aamir.
We should take a stern action against match/spot-fixers otherwise the cricket world would not welcome Pakistan cricket team in their Stadiums.