Over the wicket: Did Pakistan fix semifinal match?

Did Pakistan fix their semifinal match?

Did Pakistan skipper Younis Khan indulge in foul play during the Champions Trophy semifinal? Following the Pakistan team's defeat to an injury-hit New Zealand in the semifinal questions were raised again as to whether that match was fixed.

The needle of suspicion fell on Khan, who played with a fractured finger and dropped an easy catch from Grant Elliott. This turned out to be the turning point of the match and New Zealand raced to victory.

After the match, Khan candidly admitted that he had dropped the catch because he tried to protect his injured finger and everyone seemed to believe him. The whole incident took a different turn when an Indian reporter, hoping to create some ripples, put out a report in an Indian daily stating that the ICC's Anti Corruption Unit (ACU) was investigating the match and that they were studying video footage of the match for suspected match fixing.

In today's world of the internet, any report from any corner of the world can spread like wildfire. The South African dailies quoted this newspaper and stated that the Pakistan team had deliberately lost the match. The truth came out into the open only when the ICC confronted this journalist and questioned him on who had told him that the ICC was investigating the matter. In fact, the job of the ICC Anti Corruption Unit is to study all matches for any signs of corruption.

And even before the truth behind this story was brought to light, politicians in Pakistan took up the matter. Playing with the sentiments of people who were already upset over Pakistan's defeat, they demanded an explanation from Khan and coach Intikhab Alam.

It is a fact that today's cricketers can easily be accused of match fixing. Following match fixing incidents in the past, all shock results are always viewed with suspicion. However it would be a good idea to remember that a cricketer who genuinely intends to fix a match need not do it blatantly like dropping a catch!

As captain, Khan could have left holes in the field or introduced the wrong bowlers to alter the result. When Hansie Cronje fixed matches, no one knew how and when he did it.

A cricketer with at least half a decade of international cricket can easily camouflage his moves and need not indulge in a deliberate act like catch dropping to let the opponent win.

It's a shame that politicians, who know nothing about the various intricacies of the game, ask for an explanation It's time they pay more time in governing the country better than meddling with the game.

It's a shame that politicians, who know nothing about the various intricacies of the game, ask for an explanation.