Former ICC boss Malcolm Speed said yesterday there was a compelling case to suspend Pakistan from world cricket after explosive match-rigging allegations hit the national team.
Australia’s Speed, who was chief executive of the International Cricket Council from 2001 until 2008, said suspension was a “serious” option for Pakistan.
“It looks as though it is endemic that several of the team members are involved and have been for some time,” Speed told national radio.
“So, perhaps they need a rest. It looks a fairly compelling case.”
British police are investigating after the News of the World newspaper revealed claims of “spot-fixing” by Pakistani players in the just-completed fourth Test against England at Lord’s.
The alleged fixer at the centre of the storm was also caught on video boasting that January’s Sydney Test between Pakistan and Australia was rigged, earning him 1.3 million US dollars.
Mazhar Majeed, 35, a property developer and players’ agent, was arrested on match-fixing charges in London and later bailed.
Scotland Yard detectives have also grilled Pakistan captain Salman Butt and two of their strike bowlers, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif and also took possession of their mobile phones.
Speed, who remains a respected figure in the game, said cricket was still bedevilled by corruption.
“Corrupt bookmakers and gamblers are still out there,” he said.
“(It’s) great that they’ve been caught in England where there is a very sophisticated legal system that deals with conspiracy and specifically with cheating in sport.
“So I see that as a major positive. I would have liked it to have happened when I was involved with ICC but it didn’t happen at that time.”
Reputation
Britain’s newspapers yesterday said cricket’s reputation was on the line in the alleged betting scam scandal, as they called for anyone found guilty to be thrown out of the game.
In their editorials, some also said the allegations were a bitter blow to Pakistanis, who looked up to their beloved cricket team for inspiration in a troubled country, something that should not be extinguished by the fall-out.
The Sun said cricket’s survival depended on the untarnished integrity of its players.
“There can be zero tolerance for cheats, even if their dishonesty is genuinely limited to bowling a no-ball to order,” it said, calling for life bans if the evidence from the newspaper sting is accepted.
The Daily Mail said the allegations could be the worst in cricket’s history – “institutionalised corruption”.
It called on the International Cricket Council to banish anyone found guilty, “however senior and however many”.
The Daily Mirror said it was not just cricket lovers who would be dismayed to see the sport mired in controversy.
“Money in one form or another sometimes seems to be taking over every aspect of sport. More must be done to help players and athletes, who are often very young, resist temptation and stand up to blackmail or intimidation.
“We also need to recapture the spirit of fair play that seems to have been driven out by soaring profits,” it said.