Aamer’s Match Fixing Confessions Doubly Damaging for Pakistan Cricket

While the news almost passed under the radar, it is quite apparent that Mohammad Aamer’s confession to spot fixing has virtually consigned Pakistan cricket to that of a dubious status, thereby rendering the entire system fit to be run under a scanner.

Mohammad Aamer

The Pakistan fast bowler reportedly submitted a written confession, elaborating his role in the spot fixing scandal that rocked cricket on Pakistan’s tour of England last year that saw three Pakistan cricketers – Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Aamer – banned by the ICC ranging from a minimum of five years. However, at the time, all the players individually maintained their innocence even as the News of the World Tabloid revealed a sting operation that virtually nailed the players along with the player agent, Mazhar Majeed.

Now faced with the corruption charges in the Crown Court in England, Aamer’s confession has caused widespread unease in that while strong suspicion followed the evidence on tape. The ICC certainly did not seem in doubt at all as they handed out punishments, which was even considered lenient given the degree of the crime.

While spot fixing may seem like a lesser variant of the bigger malice of match fixing, it ultimately comes down to manipulating the sport illegally and the players were deemed guilty by the ICC after following up with the Scotland Yard that was conducting its own investigation into the matter. In that light, it seemed that the Pakistan cricketers had played themselves into a corner by continuing to deny what seemed like damning proof of their guilt. Their defense only infuriated the cricket world who could not believe that ten years later match fixing had returned in a more sinister form.

Sympathy for the eighteen year old turned into a cold, harsh look at reality as Aamer continued to play with the ICC ban. Furthermore, his confession now makes it even worse because it comes a year after the perpetrated misadventure and furthermore, after much wrangling over their innocence. Whether his conscience woke up late or whether he was misguided seems irrelevant at this point because all it does now is prove that not only had the Pakistan cricketers committed a crime against the sport but also, that he had lied to hide his crime.

The perception of Pakistan, particularly Pakistan cricket in this case, in the image of the world has already suffered dents. And this only adds to their preconceived notion in that it strengthens certain prejudices which is what is hurting most as far as former Pakistan cricketers and Pakistan cricket fans who are not only feeling let down by the spot fixing scandal but also, by the fact that the Pakistan cricketers were even willing to lie even when there seemed enough evidence to nail them.

For Pakistan cricket that seems constantly in strife and state of rebuilding in alternating cycles, the spot fixing brought Pakistan cricket to its knees to add to their woes stemming from financial cash strapping scenario to being unable to host matches on their own territory to having had the Sri Lankan cricketers come under attack by terrorists. In that sense, spot fixing undermined the credibility of Pakistan cricketers, bringing all players under scrutiny because of the cause of a few. Their reputation, although not great before, has now suffered the final tatters which is a hard tear to mend because in the immediate future anyway, Pakistan cricket and Pakistan cricketers will continue to be viewed through eyes of suspicion which the world generally wary to play them for fear of attracting the kind of negative elements that bring disrepute to the game. For Pakistan cricket who certainly cannot afford to incur any more damage to their reputation, ironically Aamer’s confession gives them no reason to hail him as a hero. Rather his confession is being considered as the burial coffin for Pakistan cricket’s troubled affairs in the sport.