Dean Jones describes what it was like on him and Islamabad players when the fixing news broke

Former Australian cricketer Dean Jones witnessed the aftermath of a fixing scandal from close quarters as two players from the Pakistan Super League (PSL) team Islamabad United he coaches were suspended by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The Anti-Corruption unit of the PCB picked up the strings of a much bigger fixing syndicate as Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif were suspended right after the first match of the season.

Jones in his article for Sydney Morning Herald elaborated how the events occurred for the team management. While he had a feeling of throwing up former Pakistan cricketer Wasim Akram who is the director of cricket of the Islamabad franchise was almost in tears as they broke the news to him.

He wrote, “Only 12 hours after our great win [against Peshawar Zalmi], I was urgently called in to speak to our director of cricket, Wasim Akram, and our owner, Ali Naqvi. They told me two of our most senior players, Sharjeel and Latif, were provisionally suspended for alleged involvement in corruption. I felt like I was about to vomit. Wasim and I were almost in tears.”

Pakistan Test skipper Misbahul Haq who also leads the champion team froze and went numb it appeared to Deano as if he was struggling to even breathe. “Misbah’s immediate response after hearing the news is one that I will never forget,” wrote Jones. “He just froze. His face and body looked like the life had been drained out of it. He could barely breathe, let alone speak.”

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That was not all. A lot of their other players including former Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Brad Haddin along with other players were subject to dope tests. “I could sense something coming during the end of our first match. Brad Haddin had just made a brilliant knock of 73 and the World Anti-Doping Agency burst into the rooms and targeted him and two other boys for drug testing while the match was in progress,”

While a few others in Mohammad Irfan, Khalid Latif and Sharjeel Khan were interrogated by the police. “We won the match, and then four guys in suits looking like police detectives came into our dressing room and escorted Sharjeel, Khalid and [Mohammad] Irfan to interview rooms. Their bags and phones were also confiscated.” Jones wrote.

The toughest part for him was to pass this information to the rest of the team and they were all dead disappointed. “The team was in utter disbelief. You could hear a pin drop as they sat with heads bowed in disappointment. We wanted the team to speak, to just say how they were feeling, from the senior players to the junior boys. What’s more, we had a game to play the next day.”

He was impressed with Wasim Akram’s efforts to lift back the spirit of the team. “Wasim spoke with so much passion. He talked about the tragic passing of his wife seven years ago and how he tried to cope with the pain. It was a gut-wrenching, emotional talk for seven minutes to players he loves.”

Jones also went on to praise the efforts of the PCB and International Cricket Council (ICC) that has been working in tandem on the case. “I applaud the PCB and the ICC on how they have handled this matter. The board acted swiftly and with authority. But as a coach and as a team, we have been delivered terrible news,”

“Since last week, I have also been attacked by former Pakistani players claiming that I had, in the past, been found guilty of association with a bookmaker, which was completely false.” He further added.

The former Aussie also pointed out the duality in approach while dealing with malpractices around cricket, betting in particular. “Every sport has to deal with this cancer of corruption. While many coaches and staff try to keep our game clean, I find it hard to swallow that many cricket boards around the world have got commercial partnerships with online betting companies and it’s advertised all over the ground. The hypocrisy of it all! And we are the ones who have to pick up the pieces.”