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Guilty should be banned: Muralitharan
Retired Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan on Monday said Pakistani players should be banned if found guilty of 'spot-fixing' in England.
- Press Trust of India
- Updated: August 30, 2010 11:10 AM IST
Read Time: 2 min
New Delhi:
Muralitharan, the highest wicket taker in both the Test and ODI formats, said proper investigation should take place to get into the bottom of the scandal.
"I think, it (the scandal) would not affect any game. If they (players) are guilty and proven then you have to give bigger punishment like bans to the players who have done it. But until proven we can't say anything," Muralitharan told a TV channel.
"I have said to everyone that these are allegations and it has to be proven. Then if the people are guilty they will get the punishment. In the past they have been proven and they have got punishment. So definitely that will happen," he added.
World cricket was rocked by a 'spot-fixing' scandal on Sunday when a sting operation on a bookie by a British tabloid 'The News of the World's' claimed that deliberate no-balls were bowled by Pakistan bowlers - Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir - during the fourth Test against England at Lord's, which the hosts won by an innings and 225 runs.
The bookie was arrested and Scotland Yard detectives questioned Pakistani cricketers after the third day's play of the fourth Test at Lord's.
Asked about the just concluded tri-nation ODI series held in the island country, Muralitharan praised captain Kumar Sangakkara and said Sri Lanka deserved to win the series.
"There were three teams and I think, Sri Lanka was the better team and they deserve to win. India went in bad patch due to the batting collapse but this things happen in cricket. That is the way cricket goes," Muralitharan said.
"Sanga is doing well because that's what we want. He is a very good captain," he added.
Sri Lanka beat Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led India by 74 runs to clinch the title in Dambulla on August 28.
Retired Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan on Monday said Pakistani players should be banned if found guilty of 'spot-fixing' in England but felt the game would tide over the scandal.Muralitharan, the highest wicket taker in both the Test and ODI formats, said proper investigation should take place to get into the bottom of the scandal.
"I think, it (the scandal) would not affect any game. If they (players) are guilty and proven then you have to give bigger punishment like bans to the players who have done it. But until proven we can't say anything," Muralitharan told a TV channel.
"I have said to everyone that these are allegations and it has to be proven. Then if the people are guilty they will get the punishment. In the past they have been proven and they have got punishment. So definitely that will happen," he added.
World cricket was rocked by a 'spot-fixing' scandal on Sunday when a sting operation on a bookie by a British tabloid 'The News of the World's' claimed that deliberate no-balls were bowled by Pakistan bowlers - Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir - during the fourth Test against England at Lord's, which the hosts won by an innings and 225 runs.
The bookie was arrested and Scotland Yard detectives questioned Pakistani cricketers after the third day's play of the fourth Test at Lord's.
Asked about the just concluded tri-nation ODI series held in the island country, Muralitharan praised captain Kumar Sangakkara and said Sri Lanka deserved to win the series.
"There were three teams and I think, Sri Lanka was the better team and they deserve to win. India went in bad patch due to the batting collapse but this things happen in cricket. That is the way cricket goes," Muralitharan said.
"Sanga is doing well because that's what we want. He is a very good captain," he added.
Sri Lanka beat Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led India by 74 runs to clinch the title in Dambulla on August 28.
Topics mentioned in this article
Cricket
Muttiah Muralidaran
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