Five ways the spot-fixing scandal could affect the ICC Champions Trophy

How far-reaching will the effects of the spot-fixing scandal be?

With Md. Ashraful adding to the IPL fiasco with his admission of guilt of spot-fixing in the Bangladesh Premier League, the clouds around international cricket grew a bit more darker. Though the rain gods have mercifully departed from the greens in England, these clouds of spot-fixing threaten to thunder and storm at the Champions Trophy beginning tomorrow.

Ashraful’s admission leads to some observations worthy of being highlighted. Perhaps, the often-made claim that the sub-continent is particularly vulnerable to such scandal has some merit in it. Moreover, Ashraful is a much-traveled cricketer unlike the lesser-known names guilty of spot-fixing in the IPL. He has captained the Bangladesh cricket team between 2007 and 2009. Not only does this indicate that experienced cricketers can be equally vulnerable to greed, but also shows that perhaps superficial solutions being mulled upon by the ICC like guarding the young and the impressionable through education need more scrutiny.

The immediate concern, however, is to protect the swan-song of the Champions Trophy. A competition that is structured to be a major event involving the very best of international cricket, but one that has always lived under the shadow of the World Cup, does not need spot-fixing to be the final nail in its already decorated coffin. Here are five ways the spot-fixing scandal could affect the Champions trophy.

1) Loss of faith

The spot-fixing scandal is an insult to the average cricket fan who watches the game with the hope of witnessing a fair and competitive event. The very thought, one which is bound to come to his mind, that he is watching choreographed performances will drive him away from the game. The fact that the India-Pakistan fixture sold out in three hours is a testament to the love of the game and to the merit of Champions Trophy as a competition. The tournament promises to serve many of these delights. One of them also being the highly-anticipated Ashes prequel, that is the group stage game between Australia and England. Packed houses will be a face-blow to the demons of spot-fixing.

2. The ‘bad’ press

This distrust can snowball into a paranoia, and needs to be countered with a well-contested Champions Trophy. A certain case study of this paranoia is available in the Indian television media at this moment that is doing its best making absurd connections in the spot-fixing scandal. The sports pages of newspapers covering the Champions Trophy will have small sidebars constantly informing us about the progress of probes into fixing allegations, new names involved and so on. An atmosphere of anticipation and excitement is key to the enjoyment of sport, and bad press can affect that adversely.

3. League plague ?

Though international cricket is no stranger to the vice of fixing, its appearance in the IPL merely gave the cash-rich league’s critics another opportunity to dub it the ‘hotbed of corruption’ (and other such much-used, less understood phrases). The burden of fixing was thus, briefly, put down to the glamorous, careless nature of the IPL. However, Ashraful’s involvement in fixing in the Bangladesh Premier League is now spilling into the international circuit. Bangladesh Cricket Board chief Nazmul Hassan said,” …investigation also includes international matches, and it is not just limited to the BPL.” This means that the fixing scandal is likely to be added to the infamous list of international fixing scandals beginning from Hansie Cronje‘s guilt, to the Pakistan spot-fixing scandal involving Md. Asif, Salman Butt and Md. Amir. The emotions and stakes attached with representing one’s country are much higher. The public outcry is also of a more shrill nature and hence, every ball that is bowled in this Champions Trophy will be looked at with great scrutiny.

4. The economics of it all

The ICC will be hoping for financial success in the final edition of the Champion Trophy

The Champions Trophy is a bed-ridden event in a way; it is already known that this is its last edition. Most critics will fail to tell you the reason of its failure however, as it is designed to be the most competitive tournament, free of the much-slandered ‘minnows’. It is a tournament that gets going from the beginning, with group matches virtually having the significance of knockout encounters. England is a beautiful venue for the event. The English are perhaps the most knowledgeable and respectful audience of the game, and a vast population of South Asians means that the sub-continental teams will also get their due support. It makes for a fantastic financial prospect; however, the spot fixing scandal looms. Everything from television broadcasters to sponsors have a stake in the success of the event and more incidents could threaten the ICC’s revenues, which will be a immediate failure if not a lasting dent.

5. The fading glory

Any professional sportsperson lives for the moment of glory that, though set in time, enlightens and enlivens his/her entire life. A cup winner is a winner for life. The glory that comes out of a feeling of winning something prestigious, by proving one’s skills against one’s competitors, is an indescribable feeling. However, that glory fades when the event is tainted by the negative atmosphere of distrust and scrutiny. The promise of winning the Champions Trophy in itself, added with the prospect of weighing oneself against strong opponents halfway on the grand road to the World Cup, can be hugely motivating for individual players. If the spot-fixing scandal manages to envelope this event in its dark shadow, these individual performances will be hindered. Viewed with doubt and scepticism from all around, these players cannot be expected to bear the scarlet letter in their quest for excellence.