Cultural differences overlooked in match fixing scandal

Cricket is currently in turmoil following allegations of match fixing involving three Pakistani players.
Captain Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir have all been suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for their alleged part in the scandal.
There have been calls from all quarters for the players to be banned for life if proven guilty, including from ex-England captain Michael Vaughan.
But one area that seems to have been ignored during the media frenzy of the past week is the poor upbringings of the majority of Pakistani people.
Pace bowler Mohammad Amir, who is 18-years-old and earns just £22,000 per year, is widely regarded as one of the hottest prospects in international cricket and showed his ability in the test series with England this summer, particularly when taking 6 for 84 in the first innings of the final test at Lords.
Amir was born in 1992 in the remote village of Changa Bangyaal and is the youngest of seven children.
Like many in Pakistan his family are poor, with the poverty rate estimated to be between 23% and 28%.
Bearing that in mind, as well as that he is only paid £22,000 per year to play for his country, is it any real surprise that he may have been tempted by the huge financial rewards of simply bowling an innocuous no-ball?
The News of the World allege that £150,000 was exchanged as part of the deal.
This sum of money for someone like Amir would be like winning the lottery twice over. And remember he’s only 18.
It is the cultural differences of a country like Pakistan, compared to the UK, that I feel have been overlooked since the story broke. Money is viewed, valued, and dealt with in a completely different way.
As a result, if Amir and his two teammates are found guilty, I personally can understand the motives behind their actions.
However, that does not mean they should not be severely punished.
It is vital for the future of the game that the ICC are thorough in their investigations and reach the right decision.
This is the ICC’s chance to lay down a marker for the future and show that match fixing has no place in the game.
Therefore it will come as no surprise if their decision is to ban the players involved from ever playing cricket again.
Their alleged actions are unforgivable, but unfortunately understandable.

Image from thatsfamous.com