DUBAI: Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja claims that Pakistan have the spot-fixing scandal to thank for their recent resurgence.

Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir are serving jail terms for conspiring to bowl no-balls during the Lord’s Test against England in 2010. But since that fateful day, Pakistan have won series against New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

“Pakistan cricket was jolted to the core but spot-fixing turned out to be a real good tonic,” Ramiz told BBC Sport.

“People got a shock when the three players were put behind bars. It was a dark chapter in Pakistan’s cricket history but that got them moving in the right direction.”

Pakistan have spent the last 18 months repairing their battered reputation, and performances on the pitch have gone a considerable way to helping achieve that.

“They (Pakistan team) realised they had to win all the matches all the time to win back the disillusioned fans and restore credibility,” said Ramiz who is part of the Test Match Special commentary team here.

“They learned the hard way. I’m very surprised how quickly they have improved but spot-fixing turned out to be a real good tonic,” said Ramiz who played 57 Tests and 198 One-day Internationals between 1984 and 1997. “I have seen the team progress remarkably well in the last 12 months.

“They may not have beaten the best sides in the world but after what happened to them last year it’s a great achievement.

Pakistan cricket has matured and the players realise the importance of playing the game as it should.”

Misbah-ul-Haq, Salman Butt’s successor as captain, deserves much of the credit for transforming the side’s fortunes, according to Ramiz.

“His captaincy has had a calming influence on the players. He sets good examples and his own game has improved by a mile,” he added, referring to a Test batting average touching 76 since Misbah’s appointment. “It was an important phase that was handled manfully by everybody — the captain, the board and the players.”—Agencies