Fixing folly

West Indies batting legend Sir Everton Weekes doesn't understand how modern-day cricketers even contemplate fixing matches, especially since they are already paid high salaries. Sir Everton, a batting maestro for Barbados and the West Indies in the 1940s and '50s who scored 15 Test centuries, is lamenting the way in which the attitude of players has changed the face of the international game.

'It's ridiculous,' Sir Everton said during an interview with Starcom Network while attending yesterday's National Sportsmanship Day event at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex. 'People are now looking to fix, and lose cricket matches, instead of trying to win them. I don't understand how they can even encourage the thought of doing something like that,' he said.

In the past week a number of current and former Test players have been accused of either taking money to provide match information or fixing matches by poor performances.

'The general behaviour and demeanour of players have certainly changed over the years. I'm sure we'll soon be even hearing where some Test umpires are offered bribes,' the legendary cricketer added.

Sir Everton, who boasts an average of 58.61 in 48 Tests, believed the behaviour of cricketers, and sportspersons in general, had changed to a point where athletes had started a trend of resenting decisions made by umpires or referees in other disciplines.

'In a day and age when players are so well taken care of, a youngster can play for ten years and not be a great player, and he's going to come out on top financially,' said Sir Everton, who was knighted five years ago for his contributions to the game.

'A player would be a lot better off financially than 40 or 50 years ago. On top of this, if he started his career at 19 or 20 he could play successfully for ten years and if an academic, still go into university and do what he wants in life, even if he pays for his own education.'

According to the former Empire Club stalwart, the recent trend by sportspersons remained very disturbing. 'I don't like what's happening, and I don't think many of the players who played in my time would like what's happening now.'