The game that is largely considered to be gentlemanly and honest has had its fair share of con-men and wrongdoers.
With banned Pakistan cricketer Salman Butt announcing he plans to return to the sport after he has served his time, fanatix takes a look back at the unwanted history of cricket corruption.
1990s Pakistan team found to be match-fixing
For a decade in the 90s Pakistan were considered one of the best sides in world cricket, with a formidable pace attack of captain Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Waqir Younis, they dominated teams and won their first and only World Cup in 1992.
Yet in 2000 an inquiry by judge Malik Mohammad Quyyam found that corruption was rife throughout the Pakistani team throughout that glory period.
Former skipper Salim Malik was found guilty of having thrown matches against New Zealand, South Africa and Zimbabwe between 1993 and 1995.
Australians Shane Warne, Mark Waugh and Tim May also alleged that Malik had tried to bribe them in 1994 to under-perform; although Warne and Waugh were both later fined in 1998 for receiving money for match-related information.
The revelations were shocking to a cricket-watching public that had assumed the players were squeaky-clean, but the Quyyam inquiry was about to reveal the rot didn’t stop with Malik.
Pakistani bowling heroes Akram and Younis were fined for the their roles in the match-fixing debacle; as were Mushtaq Ahmed, Inzaman-ul-Haq, Saeed Anwar and Akram Raza.
Although the players went on to have successful careers as players and a few as coaches, none were ever given positions of responsibility ever again and were forever treated with a certain level of suspicion.
COMMENTS