Is a 6 month ban from cricket too soft on Mohammad Irfan?

[Saj]

A 6 month ban from cricket for Irfan which means that he can play in the next edition of the PSL and in the next domestic season.

Naivety, stupidity or was he in on this corruption?

Do you think a 6 month ban from cricket for Mohammad Irfan is too soft?

 

[Pete Rose]

Too soft in my view considering all the investment in educating these players. I won't mind if he is ever selected again.

 

[Arsalan Pro]

No,it's right as he did a minor offence,although it's highly possible that he won't play international cricket again.

 

[czar]

As long as Sharjeel gets banned for a minimum of 5 years, I don't mind.

 

[Square Drive]

It's just right ONLY because BOTH his parents died in the same month.

Any other player and I'd say punish him heavy.

 

[ahmedzee]

Am I the only one who thinks its too severe? Just a fine would suffice. He lost his parents around the same time for goodness sake.

 

[A.A.Z]

If anyone thinks the PCB has taken over this whole investigation to punish our players, you are sadly mistaken and naive. The PCB has done its best to protect our match-fixers and spot-fixers, and will always continue to do so. In the 90's fixing was rampant within our team but only one player, Salim Malik, was made the scapegoat as there were testimonies from players as big as Shane Warne against him from 1994. Pcb did it's best to protect Malik even then and it took till 2000 (Qayyum report) to finally ban him.

In 2010, Ijaz Butt refused to accept what our players had done even with so much evidence showing otherwise, and instead moronically decided to blame the England players of fixing. The pcb took no action and the ECB along with the ICC took over and laid waste to some of our finest players. Even then, in his role as a television personality, Najam Sethi kept saying the pcb should take over the investigation. His reasoning, if we took over the investigation and made a huge deal about it from the start, external bodies wouldn't have been so intrusive and we could have given our players a much smaller ban.

Shahryar Khan and Sethi aren't idiots like Ijaz Butt. They've taken over the investigation and are making a huge deal about it but they plan to give these players the smallest possible ban. These players are pcb assets, the big the player the smaller his ban in regards to his offence. Apart from Sharjeel who seems to have clear evidence against him don't for a second think these players will be given prolonged bans unless they decide to make an example of one like Salim Malik, probably Nasir Jamshed in this case.

Even during their ban, the PCB secretly had Amir practising, and Aamir Sohail, at the behest of the PCB, was helping Butt practice. Why would a corrupt organisation not tolerate corrupt players?

 

[kingusama92]

It's fine.

He wasn't fixing. Just failed to report an approach.

 

[thelandofthebravepeople]

Wait and watch. Sharjeel will also get 1 years at max.

 

[Ph_11]

Irfan has learned from this. Let it go.

 

[bleaf27]

This is a joke , No wonder Pakistani players never learn. 6 months ? .......
So talk to a bookie , potentially sell your country and make good money and sit home for 6 months - sounds like a good deal

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

If anyone thinks the PCB has taken over this whole investigation to punish our players, you are sadly mistaken and naive. The PCB has done its best to protect our match-fixers and spot-fixers, and will always continue to do so. In the 90's fixing was rampant within our team but only one player, Salim Malik, was made the scapegoat as there were testimonies from players as big as Shane Warne against him from 1994. Pcb did it's best to protect Malik even then and it took till 2000 (Qayyum report) to finally ban him.

In 2010, Ijaz Butt refused to accept what our players had done even with so much evidence showing otherwise, and instead moronically decided to blame the England players of fixing. The pcb took no action and the ECB along with the ICC took over and laid waste to some of our finest players. Even then, in his role as a television personality, Najam Sethi kept saying the pcb should take over the investigation. His reasoning, if we took over the investigation and made a huge deal about it from the start, external bodies wouldn't have been so intrusive and we could have given our players a much smaller ban.

Shahryar Khan and Sethi aren't idiots like Ijaz Butt. They've taken over the investigation and are making a huge deal about it but they plan to give these players the smallest possible ban. These players are pcb assets, the big the player the smaller his ban in regards to his offence. Apart from Sharjeel who seems to have clear evidence against him don't for a second think these players will be given prolonged bans unless they decide to make an example of one like Salim Malik, probably Nasir Jamshed in this case.

Even during their ban, the PCB secretly had Amir practising, and Aamir Sohail, at the behest of the PCB, was helping Butt practice. Why would a corrupt organisation not tolerate corrupt players?

I would for once, applaud the PCB of using brain cells, if such a scenario ever came to light! We should protect and preserve our own no matter what. If it ever comes between a Pakistani vs anyone else, there should be no hesitance to back our own people.

Trap players from other countries if possible into scandals and weaken their teams but for our boys do anything necessary to help them get out of this rut.

 

[Ph_11]

I would for once, applaud the PCB of using brain cells, if such a scenario ever came to light! We should protect and preserve our own no matter what. If it ever comes between a Pakistani vs anyone else, there should be no hesitance to back our own people.

Trap players from other countries if possible into scandals and weaken their teams but for our boys do anything necessary to help them get out of this rut.

Your attitude is not helpful either.

If this is the first offense let it go.

 

[A.A.Z]

I would for once, applaud the PCB of using brain cells, if such a scenario ever came to light! We should protect and preserve our own no matter what. If it ever comes between a Pakistani vs anyone else, there should be no hesitance to back our own people.

Trap players from other countries if possible into scandals and weaken their teams but for our boys do anything necessary to help them get out of this rut.

I agree, but it sets a bad precedence. Our boys continue to commit these transgressions because they saw the 90's team get away it. If they had been dealt with appropriately, the 2010 scandal may not have happened.

The players see how the PCB did everything it could to protect the fixers, they realise that fixing is off the table in international matches, especially in England, but the PSL and UAE are open for anyone wanting to make a quick quid. In their minds even if the PCB catches them fixing in its own tournament, it'll try to protect them.

I'm glad the PCB has taken the stance it has this time, hopefully our players stop indulging in these get rich quick schemes. But, I expect to see all the suspended players back soon apart from Jamshed, they'll probably ban Sharjeel for only 2 years (possibly shortened to 1).

 

[msb314]

I think it is fair considering his age and the fact that his career is pretty much over.

I hate to say it but he is a disposable asset and has been one for a while now.

A decent bowler but his fitness and fielding always let him down - we will not miss much...

 

[Stallion__]

Very lenient in my view. The only positive thing that came out of 2010 scandal was that it disseminated the awareness regarding fixing and even a teenager can tell how to respond to such situation. It's hard to think of any acceptable reason these players failed to report. More like a groundwork has been laid for Sharjeel's quick comeback.

 

[khurram39]

Not sure what to say as i don't know what kind of evidence PCB have. In news i heard he is going to provide more information about others and that's why PCB is lenient in his case. May b or may not. Decision in other cases will tell the story.

 

[RehanG]

a fine was enough. anyways as its now summerbreak it wouldn't matter that much.

 

[mhraja]

This is a joke , No wonder Pakistani players never learn. 6 months ? .......
So talk to a bookie , potentially sell your country and make good money and sit home for 6 months - sounds like a good deal

He hasn't done anything or atleast there's no proof of him doing anything apart from being approached. And you don't sell your country by just being called by a bookie.

Yes, the punishment could have been strict considering our history with match fixing. Two years ban would have been more justified.

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

a fine was enough. anyways as its now summerbreak it wouldn't matter that much.

Exactly, a small fine would have sufficed. This is an internal matter for the PCB and Pakistan Cricket.

We can't just simply shoot ourselves in the foot just to take the moral high ground here.

Need to play it smart

 

[waleed88]

Something similar will happen to Sharjeel and Khalid Latif

 

[shaz619]

I believe he has to pay a 1 million fine as well

 

[silentkiller187]

Lets not forget what happened to Brendon Mccullam and his failure to report, ICC are just as bad as the PCB at times. 6 month ban and fine is sufficient for Irfan, his career as an international cricketer is over already.

 

[bleaf27]

He hasn't done anything or atleast there's no proof of him doing anything apart from being approached. And you don't sell your country by just being called by a bookie.

Yes, the punishment could have been strict considering our history with match fixing. Two years ban would have been more justified.

Let's say if PCB did not find out , do you think he would have confessed himself ? I agree on the two years part

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

I would for once, applaud the PCB of using brain cells, if such a scenario ever came to light! We should protect and preserve our own no matter what. If it ever comes between a Pakistani vs anyone else, there should be no hesitance to back our own people.

Trap players from other countries if possible into scandals and weaken their teams but for our boys do anything necessary to help them get out of this rut.

I don't like this idea, but in hindsight this is what every other country worth it's salt does. As long as we are punishing those of more serious fixing with full force then I would agree. The punishment must fit the crime.

 

[zulfiqar]

I voted it's too soft because 1 year would have been the appropriate time. But now I'm reading reports that say it is actually 1 year? Hmm.. either way, as much as it sucks to see Pakistan in the headlines for corruption-related topics (let's face it, this is not fixing at all that these guys in the PSL were reported for..), it's the right direction. Hopefully this way players will want to get more educated and serious about reporting approaches!

 

[Abdullah719]

Pakistan defends Irfan cricket sentence in fixing case

A top Pakistan cricket official on Thursday defended a one-year ban for fast bowler Mohammad Irfan, saying there will be zero tolerance on corruption in the sport.

Irfan, 34, is the first casualty of the spot-fixing case which surfaced during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) held in February-March this year.

Four other players -- Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Latif, Shahzaib Hasan and Nasir Jamshed -- were also provisionally suspended in February and face lengthy bans.

Irfan, the tallest-ever international cricketer at over seven feet, was also fined one million rupees (10,000 dollars) for an "agreed sanction" after he confessed to the charges.

Irfan's ban includes six months suspended and if he co-operates with authorities he can return to international cricket, a sentence which come former players and experts believe too lenient.

But PSL chairman Najam Sethi said the rules were followed in handing down punishment to Irfan.

"Irfan has been punished according to the rules in the code that are in some ways stricter than even ICC (International Cricket Council) rules," Sethi told AFP.

Under the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) anti-corruption code the punishment for "not reporting an offer" is from six months to a life ban.

A two-member delegation of the PCB will go to England next month to question Jamshed, who allegedly played the "go between" role between the players and a bookie.

Jamshed and an unnamed person were arrested by Britain's National Crime Agency last month before they were released on bail.

Sethi said no one will be spared in fixing cases.

"We shall show zero tolerance for such corrupt activities and will continue to monitor players' conduct on and off the field," said Sethi, who is also the chairman of PCB's executive committee.

Pakistan has been rocked by match fixing allegations since 1995 when Shane Warne, Tim May and Mark Waugh alleged then-captain Salim Malik of offered them a bribe to underperform on Australia's tour.

That formed the basis of a judicial enquiry between 1998 to 2000, resulting in life bans on Malik and Ata-ur Rehman and fines on Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Mushtaq Ahmed, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Saeed Anwar and Akram Raza.

Another spot-fixing scandal during Pakistan's tour of England in 2010 ended in five year bans and jail terms for Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif.

Pakistan's leg-spinner Danish Kaneria was also banned for life in 2012 for his role in a spot-fixing case.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/af...fends-Irfan-cricket-sentence-fixing-case.html

 

[chacha kashmiri]

It will be sad not to see him play in the Champions Trophy
Interesting to hear how the pcb heard of the unreported approaches and whether Mo was set up or coerced into not telling on the potential matchmakers
This has gone on since the days of Ramiz and Wasim Raja and nothing Pakistan has to be particularly ashamed of, it's a good thing Mo Irfan didn't get caught or that would have been curtains for his career which would have been unfair giving the commitment and effort he puts in