Cricket is a noble game. In fact, lovers of the game felt iconic cricket authors Neville Cardus and John Arlott got it absolutely right when they entitled their joint effort The Noblest Game in their 1969 book.

Match/spot fixing is more than a smudge on the sport and we quite rightly say, ‘it’s just not cricket’ when something goes against the spirit of the game. Last week, Pakistan’s one-day international captain Azhar Ali and T20 skipper Mohammad Hafeez refused to train with tainted Mohammad Amir, the young fast bowler who indulged in spot fixing in 2010 and paid the price through a five-year ban.