England's one-day series with Pakistan must be used to help restore the public's faith in cricket.
That is the verdict of Surrey chief executive Paul Sheldon, whose club is due to host the third one-dayer between the sides and who is keen to see the game's integrity restored in front of the public gaze.
Sheldon, who watched on four years ago as Pakistan refused to play on his ground over a ball-tampering row, was worried that any cancellation of the matches would have been a disaster and tantamount to giving in to those who are dragging cricket through the mud.
Instead, he is glad that the series appears to be secure and he believes it must be used as a tool to try to begin a rebuilding process with cricket fans saddened by the events of the weekend.
"It is a terrible time for the game," said Sheldon. "And you can't put a gloss on this whole incident at all because it is very damaging and clearly a big dampener has been put on things.
"While one mustn't put the credibility of the game at risk with all the fans who support it and make cricket possible, we need to make sure we host the one-day series and try to make the good things about the game the real focus.
"We have to remember that the game has pulled through similar situations like this before, particularly the Hansie Cronje incident and we came through the other end of that with the game still intact.
"These are only allegations at the moment. They are very serious indeed but, just as the game has done before, I've no doubt we will pull through together in the same way.
"It would be devastating if we didn't have our match at the Brit Insurance Oval. We certainly don't want to punish those fans who want to turn up and watch a decent game of cricket."
Sheldon's views were echoed by ICC president Sharad Pawar, who was locked in conference calls with his counterparts at the ECB and PCB throughout yesterday. He said: "It is the desire of the ICC, England and Pakistan that the game is continued." Despite the tour being kept alive there are huge doubts over whether Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir will take part once investigations are completed.
Former England fast bowler Bob Willis believes the only way the series can have any credibility is for the trio to be suspended pending the full investigation.
Willis, now a Sky Sports commentator, said: "A suspected fraud in a British company would see an executive suspended with or without pay while the investigation took place and that is what the Pakistan Board should do.
"They should suspend the players who have been implicated from the tour and let the matches go ahead.
"This could take the heat out of things and the only course of action if the matches are to go ahead. I can't believe anyone would be happy if they took the field.
"The MCC with their sponsoring of the Spirit of Cricket Test series with Australia and the ECB chairman Giles Clarke have bent over backwards to help Pakistan in difficult times when they can't play at home and this is the thanks they get."
Even if the three players are left out of the Pakistan side to play England on Sunday in Cardiff, it may not be enough to persuade the Pakistani public to support their team.
Around 5,000 tickets remain unsold for the T20 and more than 10,000 for the second match on Tuesday.
Glamorgan chief executive Alan Hamer is worried about the impact the scandal will have.
Hamer said: "We're not sure whether the events of the weekend have spoiled the matches and whether people will be cynical about coming.
"For games against Pakistan, you rely on late purchases from their supporters, but with these allegations against their players we don't know if it will turn them off.
"We hope not and we hope we have two sell-out crowds.
"It was supposed to be about the current T20 world champions against the former champions, but I don't suppose that is going to be the focus now."
COUNTDOWN TO CRISIS: PAKISTAN TIMELINE
January 2010: Australia, just 49 runs ahead with only two second-innings wickets remaining, manage to set Pakistan 176 to win the Sydney Test - aided by Mohammad Yousuf's bizarre field placings and a spate of dropped catches. Nathan Hauritz takes 5-53 as Pakistan fall 36 runs short and the Aussies complete a fightback.
February: Shahid Afridi is banned for two Twenty20 internationals after TV evidence catches him twice biting the ball, ostensibly to engender reverse swing, during a narrow two-wicket defeat by the Aussies in Perth. Pakistan lose the series 5-0.
March: Yousuf and former captain Younis Khan are banned indefinitely after a Pakistan Cricket Board inquiry into the hopeless tour of Australia, where they lost every international fixture. Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Shoaib Malik are banned for a year and three others, including Afridi, are fined.
July: Afridi, who has taken over as captain for the series against Australia, announces his retirement from Test cricket after Pakistan are well-beaten in the first Test at Lord's. Pakistan level the series with a thrilling threewicket win at Headingley.
August: With Salman Butt now in charge, Pakistan lose the Test series 3-1 after being bowled out for 80, 72 and 74. Yousuf is recalled to shore up their batting at The Oval, where they donate half their 500,000 rupees-a-man win bonus to the flood relief fund back home.
August: The storm breaks - Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif, Kamran Akmal and Butt are implicated in the betting scam where Amir and Asif allegedly bowl no-balls to order to help betting syndicates rake in millions of dollars.
England v Pakistan, remaining tour dates
Sep 5 T20, Sophia Gardens
Sep 7 T20, Sophia Gardens
Sep 10 ODI, Riverside
Sep 12 ODI, Headingley
Sep 17 ODI, Oval
Sep 20 ODI, Lord's
Sep 22 ODI, Rose Bowl
