Professional sportsmen don't make any money, so if they can make some more by that harmless betting, then why stop them. They are selected in the team based on their performance, or in NZ's case because we are afraid to pick anyone else, if their performances drop then so should they. That is how it should work, so if they want to do this work on the side then go for it, but their place in the team may be at risk. And if the selectors continue to pick the underperforming players then they will loose their jobs. Throwing a game is different to bowling a no-ball.

Banning them for life will have no effect at all. Everyone seems convinced the cheating is driven by greed. The bookies are not stupid, if a player wont cheat for cash they will be forced to cheat to save a loved one. This isn't NZ where everything is rosey, 1st world and where people play by the rules. Children get kidnapped, loved ones held to randsom, would you not give away a few no-balls to save your loved ones????

The ICC needs to grow a pair. Being the toothless watchdog they are is why this sort of thing has got so out of hand in the first place.

They will fine or ban a player for showing that he is pissed off for recieving a bad decision, but do nothing when games are being thrown.

BAN THEMm from the next world cup and 20/20 world cup most definitely, that will send a message at all levels. Then put them on probabtion and if corruption rears its head ban them from each and every world cup until there is no more corruption, which honestly you would have to say is endemic in the WHOLE ENTIRE game and admin of cricket in that country. All levels have to get the message until they are willing to fix it from within. Pressure from the fans and internal forces are the only way this is going to be saved. So ICC come out right now and ban Pakistan from the next World Cup

Many young up-and-comers would give their left arm to earn a spot playing sport for their country. Cheating makes a mockery of the game and the players who worked hard to get to the top.

If these people are guilty, they deserve a lifetime ban.

@ sam #61 So do you believe everything you see on tv or newspaper, do you?

You should read this, I don't agree with evrything here, but there are some very good points : http://worldocricket.wordpress.com/2010/08/29/true-behind-the-match-fixing-no-balls-accusation-150000/

I'm a photoshop expert and I can tell you that photo of the 3 men is a 100% fake.

All I'm saying, just cos some of us drink and drive and kill other people in NZ, doesn't make all killers ?

According to the legitimate and proven findings:

- wahab riaz paid 15 lac rupees in bribe to be selected for the team - m. asif paid 1.5 million rupees to board officials to reduce his ban - amir baught a 5 million rupees to buy a lavish house in Lahore's prime location. He comes from a village....how did he get the money at the age of 18? - shoib malil, kamran akmal, salman butt 7 others took oath on Quran (Muslim Holy book)to remove Younis from captaincy and then their lack of support made Shahid Afridi to give up captaincy..... - On live televison, shoaib malik admitted that he intentionally lost a first-class match in Pakistan, so Lahore team cannot make it to finals. (google it or check youtube) - Asif and Shoaib were found guilty for drug abuse and then later set free....what a shame - Asif then again was caught with Heroine/Cocaine at Dubai airport and given life time ban....then reduce to two years and the 12 months...and before you kow it he was back and now guilty of spot-fixing. -Salim malik was banned for life, but as soon as his fav. government came in power, they lifted the ban and set him free with all honours and respect. the list is huge for the corrupted players in current pak cricket team. I will give you the name of the players who are not corrupted and should play for our team.

1. imran nazir (Opener) 2. taufeeq umar (Opener) 3. younis khan (1-down) 4. mohmmad yousuf 5. shahid afridi 6. zulqarnain haider 7. saeed ajmal 8. umar gul 9. shoaib akhter 10. mohammad sami 11. mohammad irfan 12. sohail tanveer 13. azhar ali 14. yasir hameed

the rest of the team should be dropped.......

Pak cricket board is absolutely not going to do anything about this scandal.....if foreign media will make too much noise, players will be given a lifetime ban and it will be lifted in 6 months time.

Shame on Pakistan. Shame on Pakistan supporters for supporting this dirty team. Shame on other teams that they still want to play against Pakistan. Shame on us for not protesting openly and humiliating those corrupted players.

I am from Pakistan btw and I feel sorry that my country is suffering such a humiliation because of some corrupted people. If the appropriate steps were taken 10 years ago, none of this would have happened today. -:)

Some of us are showing sympathies to m. Amir as he is only 18...believe me guys....if country had a proper action 10 years ago, none of this would have happened and no one would have dared to fix the match.

If we need to save other kids and future 18 year olds from this corruption than these players who found guilty have got to be suspended for life and ICC must ensure this happens.

Match fixing can't affect the Black Caps because nearly every game they play ends up being rained off anyway! Instead of no balls etc., the betting would be on who's going to get injured next and for how long!

give the Pakistani cricket team financial incentives not to make errors ha ha...like drop a catch thats $100 off your pay, step over the line while bowling thats $85 off your pay etc... Win with no errors bonus $250 in your pay. ha ha O Yeah

"they don't declare income for taxes either like normal people do"

Hilarious! Governments love PAYE because you get no choice whether you declare it or not. Anyone who works outside that framework finds every reason under the sun not to declare a single dollar more than they need to, I can assure you.

And $35,000 a year to many Pakistanis would be an absolute fortune. The average monthly income in Pakistan is US$41 per month. (yes - forty one!) according to the WSJ in 2005 and I doubt it has increased much since then.

Ban Pakistan forever. Let no one play against them, in any sport, ever again. Including the Olympics.

Make an example of them.