Reflecting with a wise mind and a straight face on the recently aggravated spot-fixing saga by the broadcaster Al Jazeera during their hour-long investigation documentary, Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has said that "the players have to be (more) responsible" towards the game, as Pakistan Cricket Board(PCB), along with International Cricket Council (ICC), continues to educate players about the issue.
In wake of this, Sarfaraz says that if a player still indulges in any wrongdoings relative to corrupt practices, he/she is the one harming their themselves and career.
On Sunday, October 21, the Qatar-based platform Al Jazeera released an hour-long documentary in which it claimed that cricketers from England, Australia, and Pakistan carried out spot-fixing in 15 international games in a period dating back in 2011 to 2012.
Subsequently, the claims were dismissed by Cricket Australia (CA) and England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB), before responding in rejection too, PCB cleared, "The PCB is committed to its fight against corruption in cricket, It has and continues to cooperate, assist and coordinate with the ICC's anti-corruption unit in respect of investigations related to international cricket."
Now, ahead of the first T20I against Australia on Wednesday, October 24, Sarfaraz said, "The PCB plays its part by organizing anti-corruption lectures for us, I have been in the PCB's auspices since 2006. I have been taking lectures in Under-19, Pakistan A, and since when I joined the Pakistan team. The players have to be responsible," he stressed, "They know what is right and what is wrong. Despite that, if they indulge in such activities, they are shooting themselves in the foot."
Although, the wicketkeeper-batsman defended cricketers who pose with strangers - portraying themselves as fans requesting photographs, and added, "It is not a fault of a player if a stranger, who later turns out to be a crook, asks for a picture and he poses with him for it. If we don't pose for one, we are labelled to be arrogant."
Finally, on a cricketing note, Sarfaraz is also looking forward to the three-match T20I series and says that the quick shift from Tests to the shortest format won't be tough, as modern-day players continue to get used to it.
"Cricket has gotten so professional a change of mindset is the call of the hour," he said, "We have gotten three to four days of gap in which we have tried to get into T20 mode. We have six T20Is (victories) on trot. We have practised and are expecting that team will get into the T20I momentum," and signed off.
(Inputs from Cricbuzz)
