Misbah wants lifetime ban on players involved in spot-fixing

KARACHI: Pakistan Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq has called for a lifetime ban on players found guilty in the spot-fixing scandal.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Misbah said that such players should not be allowed to return to the field and given a lifetime ban so such incidents do not repeat themselves.

“Obviously it’s disappointing and there should be a law that once you have done something wrong you should not return to this field again.

The case has revived memories of a 2010 scandal that involved the national team and deprived it of three top players including paceman Mohammad Amir, who has since made a comeback.

“We did our best to clean the game up and the seven years of hard work and our image is now spoilt to a great extent. You cannot afford this again and again,” he said adding the team will have to rebuild its image again.

He expressed immense disappointment over the recent spot-fixing scandal which has seen several players provisionally suspended on charges linked to spot-fixing and failure to report approaches by bookmakers during the recently-held Pakistan Super League.

READ MORE: Spot-fixing is a crime, not a mistake: Hafeez

Misbah was appointed captain in the aftermath of that tainted series in England, and set about rebuilding the team with an ethos that emphasised discipline and integrity. His team steadily climbed world rankings and rose briefly to number one last year.

Pakistan’s rehabilitation on the international circuit had appeared to be complete last year when Misbah led the team on its first tour of England since the 2010 scandal, in a series praised for its sportsmanship.

The 42-year-old was subsequently awarded the International Cricket Council’s Spirit of Cricket award — testament to the high regard in which world cricket holds him.

He said that upcoming tour of West Indies will be tough as the home team will take full advantage of the local conditions. He has shelved plans to retire and will lead the three-match Test series starting April 22.

Pakistan are desperate for a turnaround after suffering whitewashes in their last two series.

“It will be a tough series and we will not take West Indies lightly because they gave us a tough time in all three Tests last year,” said Misbah of Pakistan’s 2-1 win in the United Arab Emirates.

“The conditions there will be tough and the ball will spin so you can’t relax,” he added.

Pakistan will play four Twenty20 and three one-day internationals against West Indies before the Tests.