Cautious of fixing life bans: ICC
Feb 3, 2019 at 1:10 PM
Dave Richardson, the chief executive of International Cricket Council (ICC) has squashed all the suggestions regarding the life ban for the match fixers. This he said in context with Mohammad Amir’s return to Lords cricket ground where all the match fixing scandal took place in the year 2010. Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif deliberately bowled no-balls in exchange for money from the bookies.
Amir was a young boy at that time and was pressurised by team’s captain and his senior player Salman Butt. It was Salman Butt who plotted all these and included Amir and Asif in his dirty plan. All the three players were imprisoned and were banned by ICC. Now all the three players have returned to cricket. Amir has already made his way back to international cricket whereas Butt and Asif are busy playing in domestic cricket.
The matter regarding banning the fixers has immediately received huge limelight due to Amir’s return to Lords cricket ground. Each and every English cricketer and British media are busy giving their expert opinion on the matter. Some are asking for a permanent ban on fixers whereas some are asking for some relief for them. In between this all, the actual authority that has the power to make a rule on this matter i.e. ICC has too commented on the matter.
Taking a stand on this matter Richardson while talking to BBC radio said that
“I am not uncomfortable with it at all, each case should be treated on its merits. You cannot hang everybody,
“I think we have to stick with the principle that the punishment should fit the crime … (and) players who influence others should be treated much more severely than those who are influenced.”
“We must ensure the deterrent is sufficient … and we have bolstered our investigations so that they (can be conducted) more efficiently and quickly,” said Richardson.
Clearly, the ICC has a different view from that of players and the media. ICC has taken a clear stand on this. Whatever the player and media comments or say on this issue, at the end of the day it is ICC only which will set rules and regulations for the players.ICC seems to be no mood to ban the fixers as of now.