Reputation Management Online

Just a few weeks back when we wrote about ‘How Pakistan’s bad reputation is affecting the flood aid’ here you have yet another story involving Pakistan for all the wrong reasons. This time it’s the Pakistani cricket players who are accused of bringing the gentleman’s game to disrepute. The allegations against them are ‘spot-fixing’ in the current England- Pakistan Lord’s Test. This one incident has proved that cricket is marred by corruption and Pakistan players have cemented this belief.

The worst of its kind in cricket’s history, this organized corruption undermines the credibility of the game. This adds more to the suspicion that you are watching a game that is already fixed. There is all kind of noise in the media and public looking to throw any player out of cricket if they are found guilty.

Cricket may be like just another sport, but in Pakistan this game is a passion which often does the diplomacy act to bridge difference and gain mutual respect with other nations. As the country is going through some trouble waters, this latest controversy will perhaps snub the Pakistan team from cricket.

Cricket is going through its worst time as a professional sport. Pakistan, though they have strongly condemned the act and for putting the nation to shame by the players, the country should think about how to balance and who to whip before the member countries decides to isolate them on cricket and otherwise.

Coming back to game, when you know cheating flourish in cricket in all forms, watching a match next time will be absolutely pointless. Cricket governing authority (ICC) should put its house in order before the sport loses its reliability. Nothing destabilizes the integrity of any sport other than the feeling that what you are watching is in pure sporting drama.