By MALILA Harris
London - A row of unfortunate incidents seem to take a toll on Pakistanis when the nation is facing with occasional violence and worst-ever flood that crumpled up already fragile economy. Even before the dust has been settled down over the mind of people, there is another brewing. A betting scandal that once again pointed finger to the Pakistan cricket team broke over this weekend.
In one hand, the Pakistan team faced a humiliating defeat by England in its last game played in Lords, and on the other Scotland Yard detectives nosed around a betting scandal that probably cast a shadow on Pakistan players. The Scotland Yard detectives interrogated the captain and a younger greenhorn who captured attention in its series with England.
A "spot fixing" scandal was spattered across Britain's most widely circulated tabloid, 'Sunday’s News of the World'. Spot-fixing is considerably notorious in Britain that has plagued sports like cricket, soccer and some others. This is not like a conventional bribery to players to fix matches, instead deals on fixing details of the game. The Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation media owned tabloid splashed the news with a eye-catching headline - "Caught!"
The paper revealed a sting operation where an undercover reporter disguised as a wealthy businessman had paid more than $230,000 to a "fixer" who claimed to deal with seven Pakistani cricketers.
The official website of the tabloid showed a video in which the "fixer", Mazhar Majid, 35, sitting in a London hotel with bundles of British pound sterling notes on a table. Scotland Yard had already arrested Mr. Majid.
In the video Mr. Majid was telling to the reporter that how and when Pakistani player delivered no balls. As the game developed, the no-balls were delivered by the Pakistani team’s star bowlers, Mohammed Amir and Mohammed Asif, at exactly the moments in the game specified by Mr. Majid in his video exchange with the News of the World reporter.
“I’m telling you, if you play this right, you’re going to make a lot of money, believe me,” Mr. Majid told the undercover team, according to the newspaper.
Pakistani fans are absolutely shocked by the revelation and banged on the team's bus when players returned after the game.
“It’s absolutely disgraceful,” one man shouted. Another man, appeared to verge on tears.
“The cricket was only good thing that was happening to us, what with the floods and everything else,” he said.
The captain Salman Butt said postgame news conference that every player on his team gave 100 percent.
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