Is Cricket still the Gentleman's game ?

The removal of Pakistani trio of Amir, Asif and Butt doesn't solve the ICC's problems in dealing with match fixing and other related activities. The players can in no way be stopped from meeting strangers no matter even if they are confined in dressing rooms and other places with full restriction to outsiders. There are a million ways to break these rules.

The Gentleman's game is no longer the same as it was in the Golden era of Botham's and Khan's when only true passion for Cricket used to rule the hearts and minds of Cricketers. May be it is the present generational anomaly of making most out of the opportunity.

The explanation I went through in the media by the Pakistani Board, after the interrogation of the charged players seem to indicate that the players are wrongly framed. The players seemed to have presented a creditable explanation, regarding the bundle's of cash found in their dressing rooms.

No matter what the explanation and the outcome, there seems something murky with which Cricket is being played these days, whether it be IPL or Pakistani Tours or Cricket in the Subcontinent.

One thing is for sure the game of Cricket is more increasingly viewed only as a big money spinner and nothing else. No one really any more cares for the drives of Bradman's or the hook shots of Sober's of the past. Of late people are only interested in the rapid fire four's and sixes of Afridi's or Hayden's or Dhoni's.

It's the administrators equally to blame including the ICC, which is jumping the gun in increasing the popularity of the game by putting too much of the emphasis on newly entertainment oriented quick fire Cricket version of T20's and the likes.

ICC should seriously revert back to put more emphasis on traditional forms of Cricket like the Tests and One Dayers and even emphasis should be laid on tour starters like three day or four day formats. Essentially these formats no doubt are boring for the spectators but they are the real formats of Cricket. And can help bring back the prestige to Cricket.

The reason why I have stated these points is nowadays if you see the present crop of Cricketers they are more tilted towards quick money and fame, rather the hard work and grooming real talent.

One used to see innumerable brilliant stints by the likes if Imran Khan's, Laxman's, Tendulkars or Marsh's in the domestic Cricket without them even making a start at the international level.

By the time they played international Cricket they were far more matured than the present crop of the Cricketers, who all of a sudden appear in the T20 formats and then suddenly show up in the national team based on these performances.
 
The money spinning element is being ingrained far too much than could be digested, and this culture is sub consciously damaging the game.

There are more chances than ever, the betting syndicates will try and exploit these hectic cricketing schedules where it's hard to focus on any single issue.

So reverting back to policies and formats of the Cricket's most established formats and times with only a small exposure to newer formats, Cricketing glory could be brought back.

ICC's step of banning the Pakistani players is a cosmetic solution to an ever growing malaise of betting, overshadowing the Gentleman's game of Cricket.