The famous trio of Pakistan match-fixing scandal in 2010

Top 4 teams with players banned for corruption at international level

Sports is a healthy way of competing against neighbour countries in the world at the international arena. Though every participating team would desire to win the match, it also means that they want their triumph to be fair and square.

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Cricket is one of the sport were its players are more passionate towards the game and always look upon to play it with the right spirit (like Football, Tennis, Basketball). But there certain grey areas wherein an individual puts forth his best ahead of his team's and violate the rules of the game.

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Match-fixing and spot-fixing are among such grey areas where the game is played against its spirit. Match-fixing is an action where a game's result is completely or partly pre-determined before its start, whereas spot-fixing is a practice in which a specific part of the game is pre-determined.

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Nasir Jamshed- The latest inclusion to the list of guilty cricketers
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Some players willfully get into such activities and some players unknowingly fall into the trap set by the bookies, who encourage them to act against the spirit of the game. The latest inclusion to the list of international players with such corruption charges is the former Pakistani opener Nasir Jamshed.

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Nasir has been banned for 10 years for his part in the spot-fixing scandal that marred the 2017 Pakistan Super League. The 28-year-old, who played in 48 ODIs and two Tests, had already been given a one-year ban for his failure to co-operate with an investigation into the issue.

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Let's have a look at those top 4 teams with most players banned for corruption at international level:

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#4: Bangladesh (2 players)

Mohammad Ashraful- former Bangladeshi captain
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Shariful Haque was the first player from Bangladesh to get caught red-handed for spot-fixing charges. The former Bangladeshi player was charged with corruption for his approach to other teammates for match-fixing in Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2012.

Bangladesh cricket was again in sorrow state when their former captain Mohammad Ashraful was banned for 8 years (cut-short to 5 after appeal) for his involvement in match and spot-fixing in BPL 2013.

Ashraful is aiming to make a comeback into the national team after serving a 5-year ban.

#3: India (5 players)

Mohammad Azharuddin during India v South Africa series, 1991
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Indian cricket was haunted by corruption in the early 2000s when 4 Indian players (Azharuddin, Ajay Sharma, Ajay Jadeja, Manoj Prabhakar), within a span of one year, were alleged for match-fixing and found guilty due to such illicit activities. The entire nation's belief was shattered when Mohammad Azharuddin, the then Indian captain, was found guilty of match-fixing charges during South Africa's tour of India, 1996.

During CBI investigation, Azharuddin reportedly confessed that he had fixed three ODIs; first against South Africa at Rajkot (1996), then Pepsi Cup matches in Sri Lanka (1997) and Pakistan (1999). In 2012, the Andhra Pradesh High Court lifted the life ban on Azharuddin, terming it as 'unsustainable'.

Sreesanth became a part of the list when he accepted money from bookies to under-perform during an IPL match in 2013. His lifetime ban was overturned by the supreme court after being punished for 4 years.

#2: South Africa (7 players)

Hansie Cronje- First South African player to be charged with corruption
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South African cricket was on the right path since their return to world cricket in 1992 until their captain Hansie Cronje was hit by corruption charges in 2000. Cronje was sacked as captain of the team after he confessed to Cricket South Africa’s managing director Ali Bacher about his involvement in such illegal activity.

He admitted that he received around 10,000 to 15,000 dollars for 'providing information and forecast but not match-fixing' during South Africa's tour of India. Herschelle Gibbs and Henry Williams were handed over a 6-month ban for initially agreeing to under-perform, then revoked during a match against India at Nagpur.

Prominent players like Lonwabo Tsotsobe (2015) and Alviro Petersen (2016) were handed over an 8 year and a 2-year ban respectively.

#1: Pakistan (8 players)

Salman Butt was the mastermind during Pakistan spot-fixing scandal (2010)
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In 2000, Saleem Malik became the first cricketer to be jailed for match-fixing charges (accused of offering bribes).

In 2010, Pakistan cricket came into the spotlight for wrong reasons, when their captain Salman Butt and his teammates (Asif and Amir) were involved in a spot-fixing scandal during the Test series in England.

Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were found guilty of deliberately bowling no-balls in particular overs (pre-determined) and Salman Butt was charged for being the mastermind for such an illicit act. Their ban was lifted by ICC in August 2015, allowing them to return to all forms of cricket.

Since the overturn, Mohammad Amir became a part of the Pakistan national squad and was instrumental in their triumph against India in the final of ICC Champions Trophy, 2017. With Nasir Jamshed as their newest addition, Pakistan has topped our list with 8 players.

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Edited by
Moderator -PJ
 
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