Rashid Latif Feels That Players Are Just 'Pawns' In Match-Fixing

Published - 09 Apr 2020, 03:02 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:05 AM

Rashid Latif (Photo-AFP)

Match-fixing is one of the biggest banes in professional sports. The mere thought of any player selling the soul of the game for a few dollars sends shivers down the spine of their fans. Cricket, like other sports, has often been marred with this chastening practice.

One of the biggest match-fixing scandals that rocked the ‘gentleman’s game’ to its core broke out way back in 2000 when former South African captain Hansie Cronje accepted the claims of fixing games for his insatiable love for money.

Rashid Latif, match-fixing — Rashid Latif Image Courtesy – Getty

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif, who has been a crusader of sorts, as far as revealing this malpractice in Pakistan cricket back in the 1990s has made a sensational claim that it is the cricket boards who have always given support to players accused of fixing, terming the latter as mere pawns.

“The cricket boards have always given support to players accused of fixing. We always blame the players. Yes, they are involved in fixing. But are cricket authorities not to be blamed as well,” Rashid Latif said in a video on a Youtube channel ‘Caught Behind’.

Latif further blamed the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit and said they tell players to stay away but they themselves do not take any concrete steps.

He added: “The ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit tells players to stay away from certain individuals. But the cricketers are playing franchise cricket for teams owned by the same individuals with whom they are suggesting to stay away from. It’s a big problem,”

Also Read: Shoaib Akhtar Proposes 3-Match ODI Series Between India And Pakistan

Board officials are also involved in fixing: Rashid Latif

The former wicketkeeper-batsman said that he won’t completely blame the players for fixing as they are just paws, utilized for their benefit by corrupt board officials.

“I won’t completely blame a player for fixing. Players are just pawns, they are being utilized by the top board members. The board has a larger role to play in fixing,” he added.

Latif thinks that every cricket board in the world has protected its players who were found guilty of fixing matches. He also went on to claim that the window of franchise cricket was created for the precision reason to tell players to do whatever they wanted to do there and not in International cricket.

Also Read: Akash Chopra Picks His All-Time India-Pakistan Test XI

“Every cricket board all over the world, have protected their players. Every country has protected their players who were found fixing matches. This is why the window of T20 cricket and franchise cricket had to be created to tell players that do whatever you want to do here, don’t do it in international cricket,” Rashid Latif added.

In the past, Pakistan Cricket Board has been criticized for bringing back the players to the national set-up after being convicted of fixing, the latest example of it being Sharjeel Khan.