London: Former English captain Ian Botham has said that the International Cricket Council (ICC) needs to take action to deal with match-fixing in cricket, starting in Pakistan.
Former England captain Botham said: “I think the ICC have just sat on their hands and pretended it’s not there. Well now they have got to act.
“It has got to start with Pakistan, who have to sort out their own back yard.
“Then other sides will follow. You have got to cut the head off the snake if you want to kill it.”
At Southwark Crown Court of London on Tuesday, Pakistan’s former Test captain Salman Butt, 27, and pacer Mohammad Asif, 28, were found guilty of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments. While another Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Aamir, 19, had accepted his guilt before.
It was found they had plotted to bowl deliberate no-balls at specific points during a Test match against England at Lord’s in August 2010.
Botham, added: “It is 11 years since Hansie Cronje and it has come to the surface again now.
“Nothing has happened since. We have only just scratched the surface.”
Former South Africa captain Hansie Cronje was banned for life for his part in a match-fixing scandal in 2000. He died in a plane crash in 2002.
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