Protecting our strategic assets

Recently there has been much uproar on the spot fixing allegations against some of our players. One of them includes an 18 years emerging bowler Muhammad Aamir. Within a short span of time, the bowler has made headlines in the cricket world for completing his bagful of 50 wickets. A great feat indeed.

And here come in forces that distract such youngsters, still in their infancy, through their heinous designs to sideline them by involving them in such ugly blackmailing as that of spot fixing. And an innocent Youngman would soon be coerced and lured in to bowl a no-ball for some good cash. And this is probably something that has happened. And the desired results have been achieved by the forces of the underworld that have succeeded in breaking an emerging bowler and stamping his future, at least for now. The decision by the inquiry commission would decide the fate of this young man – may be a life ban.

Now that the uproar on their conduct unbecoming has subsided considerably, there is a time to ponder over what has happened, what could happen next and was there any chance in the first place to have averted this disaster?

Well to start with, while I do not subscribe to the act of this young man, and fell rather embarrassed as his act has embarrassed the nation the world over, I pondered over the issue when the anger subsided (remember I earlier wrote “When enough is not enough” awhile ago, soon after the incident). Everyone knows in PCB and all those who matter that blackmailers and bookmakers are after these youngsters to spoil them. So did anyone protect them? Was anyone over watching these players and keeping a track over their activities? Did anyone see who comes to meet them, or where do they go late at night? Did anyone charge them for disobeying the rules of not staying out late at night?

Probably no one.

The tam is being managed by two oldest persons living in Pakistan; I mean Mr. Yawar and Mr. Shafqat Rana. Couldn’t we find some hawkish and rather younger people who could enforce discipline? The PCB top man is also a man of fragile health, though of a heavy stature otherwise. He is often found asleep when his duties require of him extra vigilant and active. Unlike many previous PCB top men, he has accompanied the team to almost every country, probably making the best of his remaining days. But is he delivering?

So when this is the state of the managers and the chairman, it has been very easy for the outsiders to have a rollicking time and finding easy ingress into the enclosed circles of the team and praying their victims with much ease.

I think we need to protect our strategic assets of our sports so that they do not succumb to blackmailing, coercion and underhand deals. We need to employ security men around these so that no one takes them for granted and spoil their careers. And also as a result the nation, the team and the sports is not let down.

It is just a loud thinking but I hope someone seriously considers it and takes measures to avert any such happenings in future.