Since the early days of the Raj, cricket has been entwined with national identity and Pakistan’s successes helped to define its status in the world. In recent years its cricketers have been a prey to problems which have threatened Pakistan’s very existence: fall out from the ‘war on terror’, sectarian violence, gangsterism and corruption, deep-seated crises in education, health and the environment, and a shortage of effective leaders. For twenty years, Pakistani cricket has been stained by the scandalous behaviour of the players involved in match-fixing.