In a recent discussion, former Pakistan cricketer Mudassar Nazar opened up about the immense pressure the national team faced in the 1990s, especially when it lost matches against India. He emphasized that each loss sparks widespread speculation about match-fixing, creating an atmosphere of distrust and fear among players. Nazar’s comments demonstrate how public perception affected the team’s performance and morale during a pivotal era in Pakistan cricket’s history.
weight of public perception
Nazar explained that the intense rivalry between India and Pakistan has led to increased scrutiny of the team’s performance. He noted that fans often do not accept losses as justified, leading to rampant speculation about foul play. This environment created an atmosphere where players felt they had to constantly prove their integrity.
The 1990s were marred by various match-fixing scandals that plagued cricket in general, and Pakistan was no exception. Nazar pointed out that these scandals not only damaged the reputation of individual players, but also cast a shadow over the entire team, making it difficult to concentrate on the game.
“If you look at the Pakistan team in the 90s, I think they were just as good as Australia in the 90s in terms of talent. But that was sheer fear factor of losing the game and that might be a bit controversial here,” Mudassar said in his closing remarks at the Cricket Predicta Conclave here.
“The controversy lies behind the match-fixing. Pakistan team was under a lot of pressure every time they lost a match because people thought the match was questionable and the match was fixed. No one was ready to accept that they actually lost to a better team.
fear among players
Najjar candidly admitted that fears of match-fixing allegations had influenced his players’ mindset on the pitch. “We have become increasingly fearful of public perception,” he said, indicating how this anxiety could affect their performance, especially in important matches against rivals like India.
Mudassar, 68, represented Pakistan from 1976 to 1989. In 76 Test matches and 122 One-Day Internationals, he scored 6,767 runs and took 177 wickets. “So I was part of that team that was afraid of losing a game at some point in the early 1990s, and it was just because of the fear of match-fixing or people thinking the game was set.”
“A loss to India will further aggravate the situation due to the fierce competition between the two neighboring countries. The equation also includes an element of competition with India. Neither the Indians nor the Pakistanis wanted to lose the match. We saw it in Sharjah and that is why the India vs Pakistan match was so important. This may not have been the case for cricket, but perhaps it would have been the case for the general public. There was a lot of pressure there. Unfortunately, the match-fixing incident was a huge blow to the Pakistan team,” Mudassar said.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) set up a judicial panel headed by Justice Malik Qayyum to investigate the fixing allegations in the mid-1990s. After an 18-month investigation, the committee recommended life imprisonment for former captain Salim Malik, who was found guilty of perjury, and orchestrator Ata-ur Rehman, who was found guilty of perjury.
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