Never thought I'd ever recommend anything Tariq Ali might write, but I thoroughly recommend his
article on the cricket scandal ("There's only one Imran") due to appear in the
Guardian tomorrow.
How many times have I heard apologists for corrupt Pakistani politicians justifying their pillage by arguing that Europe and America also have corrupt politicians. The problem is that in Pakistan that's all we have, with few exceptions - one of whom is Imran Khan, who was also Pakistan's finest and most incorruptible captain.
Forgiving these guys for wrecking our enjoyment of cricket is difficult enough. I now have a personal grudge as well: for the first time ever I was forced to buy and read the News of the World. [LOL]
No wonder the
Guardian is only printing it on page 28. He knows what he's talking about, which runs contrary to the newspaper's editorial policy of seeking enlightenment only up its own arse.
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Imran Khan's political incorruptibility is the jewel in a crown which lacks any other ornament, even the unremarkable one of common sense. On cricket however, he was also honest enough to acknowledge that any national Pakistan team would have "at least four sifarshis" which is to say, patronage players on it.
ReplyDeleteIt should also be noted that Pakistani national players are not paid much and that they are completely aware that they are merely the peons or yard men of the national cricket board which is entirely composed of patronage appointees who skim off the monetary cream without doing a blessed thing for it. For the players NOT to be tempted seems a little unreasonable to me. There is a deal too much moral posing going on over this. As Brian Lara put it,"Discipline begins with the board."
Sounds a lot like football's scum-encrusted FA and FIFA. The ECB is full of "good old boys" as well, but whatever corrupt ambitions they might entertain are constrained by extremely well informed and well heeled cricket-supporters.
ReplyDelete