DAR CRICKET MARRED BY MATCH-FIXING- 1992-Sunday News

Cricket, gentlemen’s game, tumbled to undignified depths this season following its ugly row over manipulations that led to fixing of specific matches. The controversy has gripped local cricket which at the moment seems in real mess.

To a little extent every club has been indulging in tactics of deceitful nature but such was the superfluity of the rigged matches that it became patent that the sole object of the culprits was to dethrone the champions Union Sports Club whose dominance over the local scene continues.

It is the duty of DCA as cricket governing body to inject discipline into all the clubs with its code of conduct and rules that have to be strictly adhered to like the Football Association of Tanzania(FAT) which has imposed a fine of 50,000/= on any club involving itself in such malpractices. With its main object of safeguarding the interest of the game of cricket DCA eventually becomes responsible to the National Sports Council of Tanzania.

Thus the Sunday league championship was poised upon a razor’s edge since Burhani in the chase of the trophy had piled up a lead of 16 points over Union. Wronged as they were, Union went out with vengeance in their last game against Ekta bowling them out for 180 runs and then their wonder boy Jameel Kermali steering them to a remarkable 3 wickets victory. So despite all the odds and adversities Union prevailed to collect 17 points and retain the championship for the 11^th year running. Besides they also clinched the ‘Champions versus Rest’, ‘Sokoine’ and Saturday league trophies. Also their ‘B’ and ‘C’ strings won the ‘B’ Division Saturday and Sunday leagues.

Had Union not acquired 16 points from their last encounter they would have been deprived of the championship despite not losing a single game. How could such a situation have been possible? Such a state is ascribed to DCA for churning out its points system that mars the fair deal of a game. Imagine a winning team acquiring only 4 victory points unlike 10 in the past while ‘batting’ and ‘bowling’ accounting for 16 bonus points! It is therefore not all surprising if the loser emerges with higher points than the winner. DCA must look into this and revise its points system so that fair and no foul play results.

One of the obstacles was the postponement of so many matches that unnecessarily prolonged the season. Why should DCA entertain so many postponements? Prior to the commencement of the season every club need submit its list of sacred days and their respective dates indicating their unavailability on those days so that the fixture is drawn therefrom. Permitting postponement for fetes, picnics or absenteeism of a player or two is indiscipline on the part of DCA itself.

The end to the season was simply anticlimax. It was the umpiring decision in the final Saturday game between Union and Ekta that flared tempers resulting in Ekta players walking off and giving away the game.Even at the international level the umpiring subject has been creating headlines after the recent row involving Mike Gatting and Shakoor Rana, Viv Richards and Piloo Reporter and Greg Dyer and Andrew Jones.Strangely we have ‘The Umpires’ Association of Tanzania’ that exists but does not function. It is high time this association is revived under the able leadership of knowledgeable individuals like Bashir Tejani or Kulbirsingh Gupta. Its revival will relieve the teams of accusations and representations. 

The seemingly endless reign of Union has made local cricket monotonous and interest is fading away. Other teams are less enthusiastic and lack compatibility. The once buzzing cricket grounds are scarcely filled with spectators.The public need realize that this merely happens to be a Union era that ought to come to an end as in the past when Agakhan Sports Club during the days of the great Mamda Kassam and Gullu Kalyan held monopoly over the league for years. This was followed by a series of Championship victories by Hindu Gymkhana.

In fact the biggest threat to Union are Burhani who would have snatched the Sunday league had they won their crucial game against Union. Chasing Union’s score of 198 Burhani were well on their way to victory at 130 for 4 when their main hope Kutbuddin Dossaji and Elyas Abdulla got dismissed in quick succession and thereafter it was all over.The transformation of Adam Akbarali and Mufaddal Haji into bowlers has made Burhani’s opening attack effective. Their middle order batting of Elyas, Iqbal Amijee, Habil Khanbhai and Kutbuddin can be relied upon. Unfortunately they lack spinners in the class of Abitalib and Shabbir Kaderbhai. What impresses about them are their youngster Ali Asghar, Salim Zulfiqar and Kurban, and with the infusion of more youngsters Burhani is going to be a team to reckon with.

Ekta is a team of youngsters who abound in talent but lack firm leadership. With natural sportsmen of the caliber of Kamania and Davda brothers Ekta are potential champions. They deservedly reached the finals of the ‘Sokoine’ but then their spirits wavered and they fumbled. Of late they are back in business and exude lot of confidence.Ekta had Union reeling at 120 for 6 in the decisive Sunday league game as a splendid and firy spell of bowling from the brilliant Veeru Kamania revealed Union’s vulnerability to bouncers and shattered their hopes of championship at that stage.

Sadly Upanga no more remain the fighting force they once used to be. Dr. Balu Patel and the everconsistent Subhash Parmar did their bit every now and then while the youngsters Kirit Magan and Samir Vaja displayed their skill at batting. Kirit even scored a century against Ekta in the ‘Sokoine’ game.

Daressalaam Gymkhana projected a new look with the presence of three Englishmen and a couple of players from Arusha including at times the elegent Gulamraza Sheriff(Zimbo). They finished runners up in the Saturday league. The highlight of their performance was their win over Burhani and Agakhan when Gulamraza recorded a superb century.

Agakhan Sports Club fared badly incurring several defeats. With the good old Mithu almost 55 now and the fabulous Alnsir Hasham(Ilala) making exit Agakhan will need a fresher outlook While their bowling lacks penetration their batting with the exception of Shafiq Kanji, Ayzaz Jessani and Bashir Ramzan has no further depth.

Alnasir has undoubtedly created an everlasting impact upon the minds of cricket viewers. Within no time from nobody he became somebody adorable on the cricket field. He shall always be remembered for his remarkable skills in all the departments of the game.

Dar Brotherhood did not impress. Suru Patel, once the hardest hitter of the ball who could notch a fifty or even a century in no time, is past his peak. It is a pity that one of our finest batsmen Hitesh Patadia whom spectators yearn to watch is wasted in this team. It is time Dar Brotherhood join hands with Upanga or Ekta and form one strong team.