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To Latif, with thanks...

Finally, the curtain begins to part. A magnificent icon of our times is dragged into the spotlight on the charge of corruption, to the chagrin of some and quiet satisfaction of others. While Kapil Dev Nikhanj played, I was for him as much as any Indian fan. I remember a time, when on a mild summer day Down Under, defending a modest 115 or so runs in a limited overs game against New Zealand, the magnificent Dev bowled between overs 35-40, to a cordon of four slips and a gully to a Kiwi team clawing its way towards victory. If anything is true of Kapil, it is this - the man doesn't give up.

While mud is flung on this side of the national border, on the other side, much has been raked and shoveled into the ashes of history. The most flamboyant Pakistani batsman of the last decade is banned for life. Former captain Wasim Akram, easily among the most exciting bowlers of the game, is spared the rod only by the perjury of another, and is deeply censured. Others are hauled into questioning rooms, and called to account for the past as never before.

Justice Quaiyyum's report, if you haven't read it already, is a must-read. It is a testament to the sincerity of the judge's own interest in the game and its reputation, as well as an honest examination of the matter under the highest principles of jurisprudence. It combines myriad aspects of the law - the benefit of doubt, the wisdom of judgement, the admissibility of circumstantial evidence, the jurisdiction within which judgement must be rendered - cleverly and convincingly. It's a long read, and that might put some folks off, but stick with it.

And now to a different matter, one that has not received the sort of attention that it should obtain, especially in light of recent events. Buried amidst the history of the investigations, and away from the spotlight of sound-bites, sponsors, Lele-gaffes, and administrative tamasha, not much has been said of men who upheld the integrity of the game, and risked much in doing so.

Amongst the finest wicket-keepers of his time and a promising young bat respectively, Rashid Latif and Basit Ali have been cricketers unlike any other in this drama. With wide-ranging allegations of Pakistani misbehavior ringing in his ears, they declared themselves unavailable to play for their country, and rather than continue the charade they saw the game to be, they stepped aside, loudly proclaiming and protesting the ongoing corruption of the sport.

No prevarication, no pretense to naivete, a la Warne and Waugh. This was the dignified and disciplined withdrawal of decent people who loved the game. In the years between Latif's "retirement" and reappaearance in the team, his career lay ruined by the dishonesty of those who strove to eliminate the hurdles he posed to their machinations. Ali has been even less in the picture since his withdrawal.

The crooks who refused to play with Latif, citing a lack of discipline on his part, now lie exposed for who they are - scamsters who have prostituted the game and themselves to the bookies. Justice demands that the Pakistan Cricket Board, and the International Cricket Coucil, recognize what these fine cricketers did some years ago, and reward the honesty of these two players.

In our time of glamour and money, it isn't often that a talented young player, with riches laid at his doorstep, will nevertheless measure himself and his contributions with integrity and honor, instead of by the material things we routinely cherish. It is one thing for the cricket administrators around the world to bring the perpetrators of the sport's rackets to account and shame. The natural corollary to that is those upheld the fine traditions in whose names these inquiries are conducted.

Let's punish with vigor, then, and sack any and all who refuse to cooperate. If that list includes the luminaries of our times - the Wasim Akrams and Mohammed Azharuddins - so be it. Good riddance, in fact. Equally, let's remember with thanks, and reward with grace. It may well be that the events of future months will throw up yet another twist in cricket's bizarre tales. For, let's ring a bell for the Rashid Latifs and Basit Alis of this world. We could use a few more.

Ashwin Mahesh