Pakistan Cricket’s Match-Fixing Problem Refuses to Go Away.

Pakistan—(Special Correspondent/Web Desk)—Match-fixing in cricket is a venomous snake that is devouring the game and its beauty with every passing match. There was once a famous slogan, “Cricket is a gentleman’s game,” but it now seems to be just a slogan. The game is trapped in the grip of the underworld, which squeezes it like an octopus.

This is particularly evident in Pakistan cricket, where, since the 1990s, players have repeatedly been caught in this scandalous web.

The question remains: why can’t this cancer be eradicated from Pakistani cricket? The Pakistan government has announced plans to enact laws declaring match-fixing a criminal offense, but it appears to have been mere rhetoric, as nothing has changed.

This persistence is likely due to the underworld’s control over match-fixing, bolstered by strong connections with politicians and lawmakers.

You may have seen movies depicting how the underworld controls systems with beauty, money, and power. Believe me, this happens in real life too.

I interviewed an international Pakistani cricketer who revealed that those pressuring him to fix matches threatened to leak compromising information about his family and warned that his family was not safe, as they had the power to harm them anytime, anywhere.

The underworld also employs tactics like “honey traps” to ensnare cricketers. In 2016, Pakistani cricketer Sharjeel Khan claimed that unknown individuals were threatening to release an inappropriate video of him. He urged his fans not to believe any such video, claiming it would be fabricated.

However, the very next year, Sharjeel was caught attempting to fix a match during a Pakistan Super League game in the UAE and was banned for five years.

In recent years, inappropriate videos and chats involving Pakistani cricketers have surfaced on social media. A former Pakistani team manager, who recently passed away, once discussed with us that the cricket authorities had flagged a prominent Pakistani real estate tycoon, known for mega residential and commercial projects, for suspected involvement in illegal cricket activities.

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At the time, the Pakistani team captain and several superstars were closely associated with this individual. Although the tycoon was previously seen publicly with many Pakistani cricketers, he has since avoided such appearances but reportedly maintains connections with them.

A few years ago, a Pakistani businessman was arrested in connection with a match-fixing attempt. Interestingly, the official police report charged him with money laundering or illegal financial activities instead.

Another Pakistani international cricketer, who sacrificed his career to speak out against match-fixing, even leaving the Pakistan team during an ongoing series to seek asylum in England, told me that fixers have strong ties with top officials. This, he said, is why the match-fixing system persists, while those who speak out against this mafia have their careers destroyed, as happened to him.

I interviewed several Pakistani international cricketers who revealed they had received match-fixing offers and reported them to the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) Anti-Corruption Unit.

Surprisingly, no official arrests or announcements regarding these culprits have been confirmed by the authorities.

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It is standard ICC protocol for the PCB to brief players before every domestic or international event. During these sessions, players are often shown pictures of individuals who might approach them for fixing and are advised to stay away and report any contact.

Shockingly, in some of these sessions, photos of international Pakistani cricketers have been flagged as suspicious persons.

Given these circumstances, it is difficult to believe that Pakistan cricket can ever be cleansed of the stain of match-fixing, as the mafia’s influence is deeply entrenched.