He says (following claims that Duncan Fletcher may have had a word about possible ball tampering with match referee Mike Proctor on Sunday morning) ...
If, however, it was established that England had indeed prompted the umpires' investigation, it would throw back Anglo-Pakistan relations by a decade. It might further draw comment on whether they themselves were speaking from the high moral ground when it was their mastery of reverse swing, often as early as the 30th over of an innings, which helped win the Ashes and drew admiration. Suggestions that this was aided by the use of sugar-infused saliva from sweets has not been proved, but it is a wonder that a number of England players still have their own teeth.Michael Holding had made a similar obscure comment about sugar coated ball polishing on Sky during the debacle last Sunday afternoon.
The last few years have been littered with bent players and officials and in the last few months we have seen major scandals with our top horse racing jockeys, cyclists banned, athletes caught (with much here say around others), the Italian football league in disarray and accusations of a major betting scam over the appointment of a permier league football manager.
But is it any surprise when you consider the amount of cash at stake?
With the explosion of a global gambling phenomenom over the last five years, this situation can only deteriorate. It's clear to me that the desire to win, money or otherwise, the level of corruption can only rise. But in the meantime, let's glamorise gambling by getting the major casinos to sponsor our football teams. And while we're at it, let's deregulate the industry so it's easier to access.
Maybe the time has come to allow sportsmen to complete on any terms they choose.
