Pakistan star admits thrown match/ Malik banned.

ehsan · April 29, 2005, 9:19am

**Pakistan star admits thrown match **](BBC SPORT | Cricket | International Teams | Pakistan | Pakistan star admits thrown match)

Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik could face disciplinary action after his side threw a game to knock another team out.

Captained by Malik, Sialkot Stallions failed to gain the 20 runs needed with four overs left to beat Karachi.

A third team, Lahore Eagles would have qualified in the Twenty20 tournament if Sialkot had won and Malik admitted he was annoyed by earlier loss to Lahore.

“We feel he acted inappropriately for a Pakistan player,” said cricket board director Saleem Altaf.

“We have taken serious notice of this incident and after going through the reports of the match officials we will decide if the matter is to be referred to the disciplinary committee.”

Although Karachi won by four runs, Malik making 88 not out off 53 balls, the match referee declared the match void with no points going to either team.

Malik apologised and was fined by the match referee.

But if the matter does go to a disciplinary committee, his selection for next month’s tour of the West Indies could be in jeopardy.

Jeered by spectators at the post-match ceremony, Malik admitted what he had done, saying: “It was all heat of the moment and I apologise to the people over my act.”

Malik, 23, has played eight Tests and 99 one-day internationals and is seen as a potential successor to Test skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq.

Former India Test player Sanjay Manjrekar, who was commentating for television, said: “This isn’t cricket. This is an insult to the game, spectators and the sponsors.”

The practice of contriving results to affect other teams in a tournament is now outlawed at international level, after several high-profile instances.

Australia and West Indies combined in vain to try to knock New Zealand out of the 1999 World Cup. And New Zealand repaid the favour by allowing South Africa to gain an extra bonus point that eliminated hosts Australia from the finals of the 2002 VB Series. Pakistan’s inaugural Twenty 20 tournament, contested by 11 regional teams, has attracted crowds of up to 12,000, providing a massive boost for the domestic game.

Cheegum · April 29, 2005, 9:39am

Re: Pakistan star admits thrown match

I just hope they dont leave him out of the WI tour. Pak team right now cannot afford to play without him.

Paki_UK · April 29, 2005, 12:59pm

Re: Pakistan star admits thrown match

I think he should be left out coz he is just a player and all he has to do is play to win, that's it!

Faisal · April 29, 2005, 4:16pm

Re: Pakistan star admits thrown match

He is such an idiot. Really.

Paki_UK · April 29, 2005, 4:28pm

Re: Pakistan star admits thrown match

He wants to take x-tra time off for his rukshati man that's all I can think of I mean the logic behind it

smooth_guy · April 29, 2005, 4:47pm

Re: Pakistan star admits thrown match

Both the lahori umpire+referee (from eagles/stallion match) and shoaib malik must be ban for sometime.

If I were Shoaib, I would have simply walked out from match against eagles. thats the best way to protest. losing match with other team wouldn't make any sense.

This whole lahorebaazi is ruining the national cricket atmosphere.

Paki_UK · April 29, 2005, 4:50pm

Re: Pakistan star admits thrown match

na man lahore made cricket malik is sailkoti man he aint from lahore, yes man it's only a game why's he takint to heart man he should have sat in middle of pitch with his arms crossed

GANDA BACHAaaaaaa

Raindance · April 29, 2005, 5:46pm

Re: Pakistan star admits thrown match

ICC and the rulings are very strict on the international level, the same policy is poured towards the member boards.
IMO Shoaib should be given a 'match/s ban' + penalty by money and further disciplinary investigation for a possible life ban.

This is such a severe crime that only 'match fixing' come close to it.
I'm afraid a 'history' has been made here,,,,,

Yes! Despite all the ills and unjust umpiring against his team,,,,,this is what should have been done,,,,such matters are not above the Player or the 'Cause'

brahmachari99 · April 29, 2005, 8:34pm

Re: Pakistan star admits thrown match

Does anyone know for a fact if Malik's complaint is justified and at what time the Sialkot Stallions started and ended bowling their quota of 20 overs? There has to be a record of how long the innings actually took, but I can't find it anywhere.

This whole episode reminds me of a similar (but not quite the same) scenario in 1999 in the Asian Test Championship. India/SL/Pak were to play one Test against each other, and the best two teams were to play the final. Points were awarded on the FIRST INNINGS performance only, plus points for winning. India lost to Pakistan. Then they lost to Sri Lanka. Their only hope of reaching the finals was if Pakistan beat Sri Lanka comprehensively and not let them score enough points to pip India. Well, the Pak/SL game was at Lahore, and Pakistani bowlers made sure SL made enough runs in the first innings to reserve a place in the final. Indian commentators were crying foul, of why Pakistan was not bowling with more fire, and getting SL wickets, etc etc. Well, as soon as SL made the required number of runs to surpass Indian points, Wasim Akram came back into the attack, took a hat-trick and wrapped up the innings in no time at all. Pakistan went on to win the test, and then the final against SL (where Akram took another hat-trick for good measure :) ). Needless to say, the Indians were pissed.

But this Stallions/Dolphins scenario is different. Sialkot deliberately lost the game and hence a place in the next stage in order to keep Eagles out. In Pak/SL game, Pakistan made sure that it had a place in the finals, and then deliberately chose which team it'd have a better chance of winning against in the finals.

In my opinion, the ultimate objective is to win the tournament, and in the process if you lose a match (maybe to ensure a smooth sailing to the finals), then it's fine. But if by losing you are kicking your own team out of the tournament, then it's a no-no.

But in defense of Malik, he thought (why? no idea) that he was in a lose-lose situation: even by winning Stallions would not go to the finals because of having lost to Eagles earlier. So he lost because he thought he had no hopes of reaching the finals, and by losing he would at least get back at the team that slighted him. Why didn't he read the rules that say that the better run-rate team goes to the finals?

While a lot of us can justify Malik's actions, but in the end the incident just looks ugly. And it only brings shame to Pak cricket.

Aejaz · April 29, 2005, 9:03pm

Re: Pakistan star admits thrown match

Unfortunately I disagree with you, being able to afford or not should never be the yardstick for selection of any player.

Believe me you, I would always vote for Azhar if that were allowed or possible.!!! yaar sportsman ship bhi kisi shai ka naam hai.

Galaxy · April 30, 2005, 12:11am

Re: Pakistan star admits thrown match

Rather immautre

homer_j_simpson · April 30, 2005, 12:31am

Re: Pakistan star admits thrown match

what an idiot

the_game · April 30, 2005, 3:27am

Re: Pakistan star admits thrown match

Itnay dino baad ek batsman mila hai, and you guys are hell bent on losing him! Shut up, fine him, and let the matter go. Blame the corrupt Lahore-favoring PCB officials if you have to.

Jazba_pk · April 30, 2005, 3:32am

Re: Pakistan star admits thrown match

we say we want our players to take a stand and now malik has done it, i dont blame him, i think he did the right thing, which he felt that the cricket establishment in pakistan wants lahore to be up there for obvious reasons! n e way i mentioned this in my other post, if they really wanna make an example and benefit from it, ban him, let him go have his surgery! bring in yasir arafat for him in odi team!! simple as that!! younis khan will do well Inshalah there and he can come in at no.3 in odi also! and yasir arafat has performed well and should be rewarded!

Degas · April 30, 2005, 9:23am

Re: Pakistan star admits thrown match

he should be banned at least for one yr.. After the match Rameez asked him why he did that as Pakistanis were looking up to him as future pakistni team captian and he should such a immature and rash attitude.. decisions go either way in cricket.. one should not loose temperment and spotsman spirit.. no one is above cricket..

Zabardast · April 30, 2005, 10:46am

Re: Pakistan star admits thrown match

Drop Shoaib Malik from (inter)national cricket for at least 2 years...period!

PS: Do not include Shoaib Akhtar for this year even he is physically fit...hmmmmmm...life is keihard!

PS1: Shahid Afridi & Paksitan Zindabad!

Paki_UK · April 30, 2005, 11:18am

Re: Pakistan star admits thrown match

look at my thread pak has announced it's team malik in shoaib out

Aalsi · April 30, 2005, 12:18pm

Re: Pakistan star admits thrown match

There is NO WAY Pakistan would have beaten India if India had not thrown the games away. :)

a1kashur · April 30, 2005, 4:05pm

Re: Pakistan star admits thrown match

^ abhi tak dard ho raha hay kya… let it go, man.

After a long long time Pakistani domestic cricket is attracting a big crowd and this thing had to happen. Let it go and move on.

the_game · April 30, 2005, 5:25pm

Re: Pakistan star admits thrown match

Shoaib is probably going to get a ban for a game or two. Anything more than that is not possible. So all of you trying to ban him for one or two years should shut up and go home.