Spot-fixers should be banned, punished without mercy: Sana Mir

Karachi [Pakistan], Mar. 21 (ANI): Sana Mir, captain of Pakistan women's ODI team, has called for stern action against spot-fixers, saying the menace of fixing is a very serious issue and should be dealt with accordingly. "Whoever disrespects the green-shirt should be banned and punished without any mercy," the Dawn quoted Sana as saying. She lamented that the menace of match-fixing and spot-fixing has not only brutally damaged the image of Pakistan cricket but of the country as well. "This is a very serious issue and should be dealt with accordingly. The players found guilty of fixing should not be allowed to represent Pakistan again," the ODI captain said. Corruption in Pakistan cricket surfaced again at the recently-held second edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) where at least five players till now have been suspended by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for alleged spot-fixing in the league. The five players suspended by the PCB include Sharjeel, Khalid, Mohammad Irfan, Nasir Jamshed and Shahzaib Hasan. Earlier in 2010, Pakistan cricket suffered huge a blow when then Test skipper Salman Butt, pacers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were convicted for spot-fixing during the England tour. They all had agreed to bowl no-balls in return for payment as part of a betting scam in the Lord's Test against England. The players were suspended provisionally by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and served jail time. The bans on the three players ended in 2015 and Amir returned to international cricket in 2016. Sana, however, heaped praise on Test skipper Misbah-ul-Haq for his role in building the image of team in the wake of 2010 spot-fixing scandal, saying the latter played a great role in removing the stigma of spot-fixing after becoming the captain. Misbah has also called for stern action against those involved in spot-fixing scandal, saying such players should not be allowed to return to the field again. Earlier, former Pakistan skipper Javed Miandad called for extreme measures to end corruption in cricket and even suggested that those found guilty should be given "death penalty". Miandad believes those found guilty of corrupting the gentleman's game should be made an example out of and given capital punishment so that others fear before attempting such crimes. (ANI)