Three UAE cricketers being dropped from the team for ongoing ICC World T20 Qualifiers after being investigated by the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit is an unprecedented incident.
It is unfortunate that such an incident has happened at a time when the UAE team is climbing up the world rankings.
The trio of skipper Mohammad Naveed, prolific batsman Shaiman Anwar and the impressive pacer Qadeer Khan have attempted to dishonour the UAE, which gave them a platform to perform and become an international cricketer.
All cricketers, before entering the international cricket arena, are repeatedly informed and warned of the dangers of people lurking around to induce them to corruption.
Every player is given a brochure — asking them to report any approach by strangers who come with requests to alter the course of a match.
Despite being aware that many big names from top cricketing countries have crashed from fame to shame, it is unfortunate that players still get lured by such anti-social elements.
It is disturbing when a player, whose cricketing exploits were regularly written about, falls into such traps.
These players fail to comprehend that whenever cricket fans talk about them in the future, it will not be about their century in an international match or their great spell, but it will be about how they tried to corrupt the game.
It should be remembered that bookies have always picked the best available cricketers or captains to do their job through attractive offers — that is how successful captains like the late Hansie Cronje fell into their net.
Trapping of these UAE cricketers is an instance of how the bookies are looking to lure even little-known cricketers for their benefit.
All cricketers should remember that along with determination to become a good cricketer, one should also be disciplined and follow the ICC guidelines.
In December last year, three UAE cricketers were suspended for eight weeks by the Emirates Cricket Board for violating the ‘Player’s Code of Conduct’ and improper usage of social media during the Asian Cricket Council Emerging Teams’ Asia Cup.
This clearly shows that some UAE players are either unable to understand the rules to be followed on becoming an international cricketer or they couldn’t care about following the rules.
Cricketers should remember that committing a grave mistake like breaking the Anti-Corruption Unit code when playing as an expatriate can bring an end to their source of livelihood and they maybe forced to leave the country.
The price one pays for such a mistake is more severe than the shame they will have to carry back to their home country.
