Guilty of soiling gentleman's game

One thing is certain: cricket will never be the same again. The prison terms handed out to former Pakistan captain Salman Butt and his teammates Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer, for indulging in spot-fixing, will find a footnote in the history of the game as having been a first.

The ‘gentleman's game' has officially lost its sobriquet and everything else it stood for in fair play and honesty. It all happened in an English courtroom when a judge sentenced the three guilty cricketers and along with them a corrupt agent to varying prison terms. On closer analysis the sentence should have been stiffer but which ever way one looks at it the deliberations of the judge have been correct and justice has been done — at least in this case.

The imprisoning of Butt, Asif and Aamer will certainly put a black mark on their reputation and careers, but it should serve as a warning for those who have not been caught for indulging in corrupt practices as yet. The authorities are fighting back and cricket boards should ensure that players should be conversant with the expectations that are required of professional sportsmen. It is their responsibility to guide and mentor between what is right and wrong as the separation line between the two can be thin.