An undercover investigation from Sunday Times, a UK newspaper has once again brought the ghost of match fixing in the limelight! Through a sting operation, the UK newspaper claims that Indian based bookies are actively fixing English county games and even international matches. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has taken note of this sensational story coming in the Sunday Times and is expected to come up with an inquiry.
Caught on camera in the sting operation is a Delhi based bookie who claims that "tens of thousands of pounds are on offer to fix matches, typically £44,000 ($70,000) to batsmen for slow scoring; £50,000 ($80,000) for bowlers who concede runs; and as much as £750,000 ($1.2m) to players or officials who can guarantee the outcome of a match."
The sensational news is that even the India Vs Pakistan, ICC World Cup 2011 Match at Mohali was also fixed! Although there were plenty of stories like this coming before and after this match last year, all of those vanished in thin air because of lack of evidence. Now again this match is in news because of the latest sting operation in the Sunday Times, which suggests that it was perhaps fixed.
What is new is that it’s learnt that Bollywood beauties are now engaged by the bookies to honeytrap the players of different countries to lure them into the illegal activities. According to claims from the Delhi bookie, fixing is rampant in the various English county games, which are of low profile and are usually not under the serious scanner of the anti-corruption bodies. It could be plain boasting from the bookie as well as he said that he could fix even Test Matches, ODIs and T20Is along with the money-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) and the latest Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).
The bookies caught in the sting operation seem to suggest that players from various countries have been influenced by the bookies to indulge in match and spot fixing. The ICC has been in a tough spot to steer cricket from the dirty fixing incidents. Cricket was hit by match-fixing scandals in early 2000 with big names like Hansie Cronje, Mohammad Azharuddin, Salim Malik and others found guilty.
The last year saw ‘spot-fixing’ come into light for the first time, which resulted in three Pakistan players Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif going to jail! Last month saw a 23-year-old Mervyn Westfield getting jailed for indulging in spot-fixing in English county. Danish Kaneria, Pakistan’s leg-spinner was also alleged to have been part of the spot-fixing deals in the English county games. And currently, there is a libel case going on in the London High Court between Chris Cairns and the former IPL Chairman Lalit Modi who had tweeted that the former was involved in match fixing in the now-defunct Indian Cricket League (ICL).