Alastair Cook: England captain wants life bans for match-fixers

England captain Alastair Cook believes anyone found guilty of match-fixing should be permanently thrown out of cricket – although he would have no issue with facing Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir in the forthcoming Test series.

The previous Pakistan tour of England in 2010 was rocked by a spot-fixing scandal involving Pakistan’s Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif, and Salman Butt.

Amir, who returned to the global cricket after completing his suspension from spot-fixing in September a year ago, was named in the 17-member Test squad to face England.

‘He’s got the class to get a big score but until he does it there will be questions, ‘ said Cook of a man who did hit two hundreds in his first coming with England before seemingly becoming overwhelmed by intensity.

“But in my opinion – now, because it’s become a bit more prevalent (in the number of known cases), the ICC should come out and say that if you are caught match-fixing you are banned for life”.

“We won the game [with] some good performances and consistency of selection is a big part of it”.

“The rules were different then [in 2010] but in my view the punishment should be harsh to try to deter people from doing it”.

Cook has once more demonstrated the confidence running through the England camp by naming his starting XI a day before the Test with England unchanged from the team that beat Sri Lanka at Durham with Steven Finn and Nick Compton the two players who will be most relieved to hang on to their places.

Cook said his concern was that day/night fixtures could, as things stand, be too often decided by the fate of the team batting at the “wrong” time. “I am really motivated and hungry and where that takes me who knows”, added the 31-year old who has led his team to some memorable Ashes victories.

Sri Lanka will also play a five-match One Day International (ODI) series and one Twenty20 International match during their ongoing tour of England.

“I think the players are very much aware of that”, he said.

England again resisted the temptation to give a debut to Jake Ball, the Nottinghamshire paceman, with the under-performing Steven Finn retained to play on his Middlesex home ground. If anything maybe I get slightly complacent for the odd ball, sometimes you get away with it and it goes unnoticed and sometimes it catches up with you and you are made to look very silly.

Coach Graham Ford said: “Angelo is fine”.

He anticipates, however, that the occasion of a Lord’s Test will help to make sure England are on their game from one to 11. His average in Tests is not great either; just a touch over 30 in the 15 Tests he has appeared. We have had a pretty hectic time, both on the training ground and off the field attending some functions.

Sri Lanka must choose between Shaminda Eranga, still free to play despite tests on his suspect action, and their uncapped left-armer Chaminda Bandara.