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ICC Cricket World Cup, 2014/15 news from ESPN Cricinfo.com

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

The ICC have a job to do when these enquiries are concluded

There are more questions than answers, sang Johnny Nash, and cricket is suffering big time right now. Is it 'shock, horror, outrage' though? I think not.

Since spread and spot-betting came into vogue, sport in general has become vulnerable. Novelty bets started it all off. How many seconds before the first throw in at football?
Accused: Mohammad Aamer

Accused: Mohammad Aamer

How many 'dot' balls in an individual's innings at cricket? You could go through most sports and have a wager on 'a bit of fun'.

To my knowledge the regulated bookmakers knocked this sort of stuff on the head and your major players in the UK such as Coral, William Hill and Betfair are all very much above board.

Many people whom I speak to say that betting on sport should be banned. They miss the point in relation to this latest scandal. The bookmakers concerned are illegal and operate overseas, mainly in India and Dubai, but have operatives in the UK.

Here is another question. Is it a culture thing? This sort of betting has a habit of implicating Pakistan. Do the players concerned know that they have done something very wrong and immoral which damages the game?

Or is it something that they have been doing throughout their formative years? 'An odd no-ball here and there. What's the problem?'

There is a sinister side to this, too, if you believe the rumours and tittle-tattle going about. Families are threatened and homes are at risk if players do not comply. This, to us in the cosy UK, seems far-fetched but until you go to Pakistan or India you cannot begin to grasp what cricket means over there.

The ICC have a job to do when these enquiries are concluded. Big name players, in the recent past, have been censured but not a great deal has been done and many have high-profile jobs in the game.

Whether the ICC's hands have been tied legally I don't know, but clearly more has to be done. Other teams will have been approached and if the Metropolitan Police have entered the rabbit warren we may be in for a painful time in this glorious game's history. Sad times.

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