LAHORE – Pakistan team’s eventful tour of England will remain chiselled in the memories of national team players for the rest of their lives.

Cheaters if they win, fixers if they lose, they are now wondering what to do?

Amid all the tabloid drama that has made the ICC dance to its tunes, Cricket is the ultimate loser. Though the Pakistan cricket is fast moving towards isolation, the game internationally is too dwindling into darkness. The ICC’s anti-corruption unit is only making itself a subject of ridicule by launching inquiries after every tabloid report.

They have suspended the three Pakistan players who are yet to be found guilty. But on the other hand, they have remained unmoved on reports of fixing in the IPL matches and the players alleged for involvement were not even called for questioning. It seems their focus is only the Pakistan team.

Instead of waiting for results of the inquiries already under progress, the ICC started yet another investigation on tabloid report without even taking the PCB and the ECB in to confidence.

The strained meeting of the PCB chief and ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat recently has also strained the relations between the PCB and the ECB with Ijaz Butt calling for investigation of a losing England team.

The British media declared that the South African players did not want to play against Pakistan in UAE, but the South African board clearly denied.

Just with one statement of the PCB chief, the ECB and its players have now reacted severely – one wonders Pakistan players have been facing this for quite sometime now. And even the on field umpires during the fourth ODI between the two sides acted quite differently leaving the Pakistan team high and dry on some confident appeals, which were declared even by expert commentators as umpiring errors.

Maybe those who control the game in the ICC have now decided to isolate Pakistan once for all. When Sri Lankan team was attacked, it seemed they had succeeded somewhat but Pakistan gave them a befitting reply by winning the ICC World T20 title.

But ever since the PCB alienated the powers that be by voting against John Howard’s nominations in the ICC, it was only a matter of time that Pakistan was taught a lesson. The News of the World is part of the group that controls a large part of Australian media which was also supportive of John Howard in his election campaigns.

This group, known for its bias towards Muslims in general and Pakistan in particular, is very influential in the USA and the UK. It is also worth a mention that former Australian Prime Minister John Howard was a close friend of US President George W Bush.

With India now claiming the ownership of global cricket cartel, and anti-Pakistan media preying on the opportunity, this is going to be a hard battle for Pakistan cricket in any case. The question is will the world cricket be complete without Pakistan? For the moment it seems the script has been written.

With cricket now being used to settle political scores, may be this is time Pakistan sports look beyond cricket. Pakistan boasts of a glorious past in squash, hockey, athletics, boxing and tennis.

Pakistan cricket under Ijaz Butt and Co. is not strong enough to challenge global financial and media cartels.

Whatever course Pakistan takes, one thing is clear: Pakistan cannot deal with it unless it puts its own house in order.

Tauqir asks ICC to shut anti corruption unit

Former PCB chairman Lt Gen (retd) Tauqir Zia has lashed at the International Cricket Council for taking hasty decisions regarding match-fixing inquiries and blamed it for targeting Pakistan cricket.

Talking to the journalists here on Monday, he said that the ICC was trying to cover up its own incompetence by taking hasty decision and the ultimate sufferer is the Pakistan cricket.

“They are merely relying on media reports for their inquiries,” he said. He asked the ICC to close its Anti-corruption Unit as it has failed to come up with any probe and was relying on newspaper reports.

He said that in all the decisions they are covering their inability making Pakistan a scapegoat irrespective of their win or loss. But if the ICC is a neutral body – which I think they are, they should investigate both the teams – and during the scrutiny they should not pick Pakistan solely – which I think is unfair.” “When the PCB should have reacted aggressively, they didn’t. But now when it’s time for reconciliation they are showing aggression,” he added.

– The Nation

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