Farokh Engineer calls for life ban on Cairns and other fixers
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Former Indian wicket-keeper Farokh Engineer has asked for life ban on cricketers involved in match-fixing, as former New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns undergoes trail over match-fixing allegations. Cairns is undergoing a trial for allegedly fixing matches during the, now defunct, Indian Cricket League in 2008, where he was playing for the Chandigarh Lions.
Engineer lamented the fact that Chris Cairns will probably be remembered for this fixing scandal, rather than for the wonderful cricketer he was, but has asked for a life ban on anyone involved in such incidents. "Match-fixers should be banned for life. Chris Cairns is a sad case, what a fantastic cricketer he was, but people now will remember him only for the match-fixing allegations and not his cricket," the 77-year-old told the media.
Engineer, who made his test debut back in 1961, has also pointed out the spot-fixing case, involving Pakistani cricketers Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, insisting that it is a bigger problem at this point.
"Spot-fixing is the worst of all. Just to bowl a no-ball you get thousands and thousands of pounds. People may think what harm a single no-ball can do, what they don't realize is by doing one such thing, they get sucked into the whole match fixing affair. You just can't get out of that vicious circle," Engineer added.
The Pakistani trio were sentenced to six months in prison, but Amir's punishment was later trimmed short and he was allowed to return to domestic cricket. Engineer is glad that the young pacer was excused as he was dragged into this mud by two senior players. "I am glad that Amir has been given a retrieve and I am equally glad that the other two have been punished because they were instrumental dragging the youngster into the fixing,“ Engineer said.
He further added, "Any Indian cricketer, if found guilty of fixing, should be given a life ban. Match fixers or spot fixers, they have no place in cricket”.