Cricket: Pakistan head home to uncertain future

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Pakistan limp home tomorrow unlamented, unloved and unwanted by a country which had been prepared to grant them sanctuary More... Pakistan head home to uncertain future Thursday September 23, 2010 Source: Reuters Pakistan limp home tomorrow unlamented, unloved and unwanted by a country which had been prepared to grant them sanctuary while security threats make it impossible for them to play at home. A profound sense of betrayal has poisoned relations between England and Pakistan since three players, including test captain Salman Butt, were suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) after a corruption investigation into the fourth test at Lord's. Butt and his two opening bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif were accused by a British newspaper of accepting money to manipulate incidents within the match. "This summer has clearly demonstrated that when there is a sniff of something in the air it devalues the whole game," England captain Andrew Strauss said today. "No one wants to play cricket in those circumstances. The players from both sides have been put under a lot of stress and pressure. The ICC need to leave no stone unturned and we need to be sure that every game of cricket from now on is not tarnished." Strauss, speaking after his team had clinched the five-match one-day series on a balmy evening at the Rose Bowl, had seriously considered pulling out of the fourth match at Lord's after his team were bizarrely accused of match-fixing by Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt. The nadir of a tour which may rival England's 1932-33 bodyline series in Australia in its implications for the game was reached soon afterwards on the same morning. Nasty edge England batsman Jonathan Trott and Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz had to be separated after an altercation in the pre-match nets session and Pakistan one-day captain Shahid Afridi said he had considered calling the police. The usual banter between rival supporters has continued unabated but a nastier edge was evident today. "Are you going to throw the match and buy a corner shop with the proceeds?," one England supporter shouted at Afridi as he stepped off the Pakistan team bus before the day-night match. The fiercely competitive British tabloids are not going to let up either. The ICC is investigating allegations of a suspicious run pattern in the third one-day match at the Oval based on a report in one newspaper and another featured pictures of fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar engaged in what it said could be construed as ball tampering. Pakistan are scheduled to play series against South Africa and New Zealand before the 50 overs World Cup on the Indian subcontinent early next year. They played a two-test series against Australia in England this year but, after Ijaz Butt's outburst, prospects of the Pakistanis returning next year for a neutral series against scheduled tourists India have vanished. "We are working with them on a number of (neutral) games, but we have to give it time," England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive David Collier said during the Lord's one-day international. "Time is a great healer, but now and probably next year is not the right time to consider that." "If there is a cancer in the game, we have to get rid of it and it doesn't matter where in the world it is and which team is involved."

[Texy]

Why is Pakistan so ungrateful ?? I thought Pakistan should be grateful to ECB - for hosting neutral matches between Pak n Aus, then Pak vs Eng - for continuing with the series when it could have been easily canceled - players were quite professional on the field despite of ongoing investigation - never made any open allegation that the whole team was involved in fixing unlike PCB - hosted PAK when no other country was willing to do so and agreed to shared revenue in the bilateral series as well as the neutral series Yet, if you scan comments across many cricket forums...the general consensus amongst paki fans is that of contempt and anger against ECB/ Eng and no sense of gratefulness when they should be blaming their own players for the fiasco yet continue to be back stabbers as they are in general in blaming Eng of conspiracy theories Also pak fans claim UAE would have hosted them anytime and should be the prefer home for Pakistan cricket

[Roshanrocks]

consistent since 1947

[jf1gp_1]

in their blood , cant help it

[King Tendulkar]

Its like how grateful they were when we give them 25 millon dollars in aid for floods. They initially decided to reject it, then said dont give it to us but give it to UN in some pants attempt not to give India credit. Being ungrateful is in the blood. And when they do things wrong its not their fault but a conspiracy against the land of the pure!

[King Tendulkar]

To me it looks like pakis are going to welcome them home like heroes. Even though they are cheats and losers.

[Shakthi]

in their blood ' date=' cant help it[/quote'] Completely agree with u its in their blood

[beetle]

in their blood ' date=' cant help it[/quote'] ditto

[asterix]

In their blood. I agree. Only few days ago they were asking for Donations (they still are) for the Flood victims. But majority of them are now badmouthing England just because whatever happened to their Cricket Team full of Saints.

[putrevus]

These fricking Idiots are so ungrateful and so brain dead, they dont seem to comprehend the truth, every issue with match fixing is revolved around their team only.Yet they have nerve to come out and lash against others. What is more surprising is their media is with them also and it comes with these ridiculous theories that world is against them. They try to bite the hand that feeds them.

[jusarrived]

Victimized mentality , nt much we can do about it & dont see it changing it anytime soon

[ZodiaC]

Oh come on tex1des da ECB made millions of pounds this season because of pakistan and pakistan helped in reviving their economy. But they repay pak by ruining the career of their young phaasht ballerz and sexy kaptaan. In face Pakis should demand an immediate apology from ECB and ICC and suspension of haroon lorgat, giles clarke, sharad powar etc etc. :dontknow:

[Gunner_Mania]

Too much Pakistan centric posts on the board again - Can't wait for the India-Australia series to start.

[Hindustani]

Too much Pakistan centric posts on the board again - Can't wait for the India-Australia series to start.

Can't blame, Pakistan and Pakistanis have declared Jehad on Cricket :nervous: