After the News of the World broke the betting-scam story involving the Pakistani cricket team on August 29 and publicly presented some strong and convincing evidence against the Green Shirts, the tabloid, on September 5, released another reportthat said that cricketer Yasir Hameed had “sensationally confirmed” its report that some Pakistani players had accepted money to fix aspects of a recent Test match against England.

Respected opening batsman Yasir Hameed claims bent teammates were fixing “almost every match”.

And he provided a devastating insight into the shady world of betting scams, telling how he:

– REFUSED bribes of up to £150,000 from a corrupt bookmaker to throw matches.
– LOST his own place in the squad and saw his career damaged as a result.
– WATCHED as crooked colleagues splashed out on plush properties and expensive sports cars funded by their illicit activities.
– LEARNED that shameless players pocketed an astonishing £1.8million for rigging a Test match against Australia earlier this year.

Hameed, once rated amongst the world’s finest batsmen, said of his scandal-struck colleagues: “They’ve been caught. Only the ones that get caught are branded crooks.

Fans of Pakistani cricket in the homeland and around the world have felt shame from the disgrace this incident has heaped on a hurting nation desperate for good news and an image makeover.

But somehow, despite the damning evidence, many Pakistani fans interviewed on one Pakistani newscast on Sunday September 5, said they feel something sinister is afoot. They feel there is a conspiracy to tarnish Pakistan. They feel the team and players have been set-up. (Sure, the Pakistani team was set-up, in the sense that theNews of the World engineered a sting — but during that sting an alleged middleman for the Pakistani team, Mazhar Majeed, seems to prove that some Pakistani cricketers will do anything to make some extra cash). These too-loyal fans feel the Brits have been rude hosts, and the England team should watch out for the inevitable payback that will come when international cricket returns to the land of the pure — what that means is too frightening to contemplate.

Do these people still feel that way after hearing Yasir Hameed’s comments about the diseased and soiled nature of the team he is a part of? Or will they think that his comments have been tampered with, and that his meeting in a UK pub was also part of a bigger conspiracy? Hameed has tried to deny he gave the interview. At the same time, Hameed via Pakistan cricket legal counsel has tried to justify his comments with a public statement given in the UK, but it is hardly enough to douse the fire (which he has further fuelled).

What do you think? Do you think the allegations of spot-fixing are genuine or fake? Participate in the poll below.

Is the spot-fixing controversy involving Pakistan’s national squad a conspiracy to tarnish Pakistani cricket?

• No (52%, 150 Votes)
• Yes (46%, 131 Votes)
• Undecided (2%, 14 Votes)

Total Voters: 286