A shock comes with lessons

Bangladesh cricket seemed to have a clean sheet as far as “fixing” was concerned until Mohammad Ashraful’s nation shaking confession last week. The game of cricket has served as a unifying force to the country ever since Bangladesh won the ICC Trophy back in 1999. The win gave hope to the people of Bangladesh and opened the door for them to dream of greater glory. Since then Bangladesh cricket has come a long way and in the process, drew the attention of international “fixers” and bookies. This dark side of modern cricket might have fallen on Bangladesh as early as 2004, according to local newspaper that reported Ashraful was involved in match-fixing at that time. The news comes as a double blow to Bangladesh cricket – not only does it entail the loss of the player, but also as the first star to come out of Bangladesh, it is a matter of national prestige. Test crickets youngest ever centurion has been considered by many to be one of the most talented batsmen the world has ever seen. His career coming to an end in the worst possible way will affect Bangladesh cricket in the future. It was not as though the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) was unaware of the matter. Suspicion had been roused before, but lack of evidence and fear of consequences kept the matter in the dark. Recent comments by former national coach Jamie Siddons demonstrate this. Doubts had arisen, were reported and mostly, ignored.   Siddons, who had been in charge of the national team during 2007-2011, expressed sympathy for Ashraful but admitted that he was not at all surprised and had been aware that there was something wrong in Bangladesh cricket for awhile.  Siddons had informed the BCB and as well as the ICC of his doubts regarding match fixing, but the matter was treated lightly by the board. The result? Bangladesh loses the services and experience of Ashraful. There is still hope. Though experts believe that the wrong doing has infiltrated deep into the system, it is not too late for the board to put a halt to further corruption from underworld gambling. The recent happenings can be taken as a sign to put a stop to such things. Initiatives to create awareness among rising players are the primary option and the board has always maintained so.  The other thing that can be done is stop overlooking matters that can only get worse and eventually, lead to the loss of stars like Ashraful. It is  high time for Bangladesh to turn around all the negatives and repair the damage that has been done to the cricket crazy nation that the world has always seen.