LANCASHIRE League legend Jonathan Fielding says he is delighted cricket’s match-fixers have been brought to book – and hopes that the game can move on from its darkest hour.
Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif were found guilty of their part in a “spot-fixing” scam after a trial at Southwark Crown Court.
Former captain Butt, 27, and fast bowler Asif, 28, were both found guilty of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments.
They plotted to deliberately bowl no-balls during a Lord's Test match against England last summer.
Another bowler, Mohammad Amir, admitted the charges prior to the trial.
The guilty pleas by the bowler, who was 18 when the scam took place, could not be reported before.
“I am delighted they have been found guilty,” said Fielding, who started his long career with Lancashire before going on to star across the county’s thriving leagues.
“It sends out the right message to people that this cannot be allowed to happen.
“The game doesn’t need it, no-one in the game of cricket needs this.”
Left-arm spinner Fielding, who returned to his hometown club Ramsbottom in 2010 ago and has claimed 100 wickets in each of the past two seasons, admits the scandal has affected the reputation of cricket.
But he insists that the problem is not one he has come across during his career.
“I am sure it has gone on in certain places,” added the 38-year-old. “It is not something I am familiar with and it doesn’t happen at our level.
“But it is a real concern that is happened and that is why this decision is so important.
“The message is sent out to any young kids who are coming up in the game that they have to steer clear of any of these offers or backhanders.
“A ban may not be a deterrent – but a prison sentence is.”
Spot-betting involves gamblers staking money on the minutiae of sporting encounters.
After deliberating for nearly 17 hours, the jury unanimously convicted Butt and Asif of conspiracy to cheat.
Former Pakistan cricket captain and one-time Lancashire star Wasim Akram said: “This scandal has scared Pakistan cricket.
“But it is now time to forget the past and concentrate on the future. We have to move on from this.”
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