Shame
It looks likely that many Pakistani players will have trouble getting a game for a while, possibly forever. This is a shame – Pakistan has produced some amazing cricketers and some amazing cricket. Mohammad Amir is 18 and probably the best bowler in the world. If his career had run its course he would probably have been an all-time great. Instead he’s probably going to get drummed out of all forms of the game. The Indians in the ICC are no doubt salivating at the prospect.
And for what? It’s not because they ‘cheated’. Ball tampering is cheating, using unauthorised equipment is cheating, being Muralitharan is cheating; but playing badly isn’t. The only people cheated are the Australian team, who deserved to be beaten in Sydney, and the English team, who deserved to be beaten more soundly at Lord’s.
Short and Sweet
There is still some confusion over short selling. This confusion leads people to support bans and restrictions on short selling which make very little sense. I think some of the concerns stem from simple misunderstandings and so I’m starting a public education campaign.
The simplest type of short sale is a forward sale agreement. If I enter a contract to sell a bicycle one week in the future I have made a short sale. If I own a bicycle at the time I enter the contract it is a ‘covered’ short sale. If I don’t own a bicycle at the time I enter the contract it is a ‘naked’ short sale.






