Sydney, Aug. 31: Cricket is in urgent need of tough action and honest brokers, notec cricket columnist Peter Roebuck has said.

In an article for the Sydney Morning Herald, Roebuck said that the game of cricket is suffering from shaky integrity and added that its credibility has been destroyed.

"Clearly some leading cricketers regard the game as nothing more than a scam. They have no obligations, no responsibility, no duty and no respect. Senior Pakistan players were prepared to betray their team and so their country. They made grand gestures about donating money to the flood relief fund, but in the meanwhile, sold their sporting souls for 40 pieces of silver," he added.

“These blokes have been caught red-handed. Obviously the tour ought to be abandoned. The culprits ought to be arrested and charged. The time for tolerance passed long ago. Cricket deserves better and so does Pakistan,” he further said.

"Cricket has not been serious about corruption. Too little has been done. Cricket is riddled with corruption. Persistent rumors insist that leading IPL players have been bought and sold, and rumors can no longer be ignored," he said.

"An Australian was approached in the inaugural edition of the Champion''''s League. He reported the matter. How many less scrupulous players have been approached? Only the complacent will believe it was an isolated case. The bond of trust has been broken. Obviously, cricket''''s costly anti-corruption unit has been found wanting. At least it exists," he said.

"Mostly the ICC has taken too little notice of poor governance. It''''s been a cosy club. Everyone has been getting rich," he concludes. (ANI)