Former Pakistan pacer Waqar Younis reckons that cricket boards need to increase their monitoring of franchise-based T20 tournaments and educate the players to keep the sport clean of corruption.

Islamabad United and the Pakistan Cricket Board faced embarrassment last as Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif were found guilty of meeting with a bookie and agreeing to spot-fix in the second Pakistan Super League.

Talking about the same, Waqar said, “The menace of spot-fixing and gambling is like cancer for all sports including cricket and it is very important cricket boards take all steps to root out this problem from all cricket.”

He pointed out that due to the popularity of domestic T20 tournaments, players would be targeted by corrupt people and they had to be educated to remain on guard all the time. Waqar said, “We are now carrying out a strict monitoring of all players in our franchise and we are confident that there will be no repeat of the last PSL incident this time.”

Pakistan cricket has been hit hard by fixing aspersions starting with a judicial match-fixing inquiry in the 90s which led to life ban on former test skipper, Salim Malik in 2000.

In 2010, then Pakistan skipper Salman Butt along with Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Aamir were all caught for spot-fixing during a Test at Lords against England and subsequently banned for a minimum of five years by the ICC.

Waqar also clarified that more rigorous anti-corruption measures should be taken by all boards if necessary and no player should be pitied if found guilty of corruption. He said, “Even now everyone knows that no player becomes a big player until he has played and performed in Test matches which is a real challenge.”