Malik videotape lifts the lid on world of corruption
HANSIE CRONJE'S confession leaves a lot of questions to be answered when he is cross-examined on Tuesday. But we have already been given a major insight into match-fixing by Salim Malik, the former Pakistan captain who has been banned for life.
By Scyld Berry
12:00AM BST 18 Jun 2000
Malik revealed this corrupt world in the course of a recent undercover investigation by a News of the World team who posed as businessmen keen to make big money through match-fixing. Malik was caught on video as well as audio-tape, one copy of which has been given to the International Cricket Council and another seen by the Sunday Telegraph. He has since denied wrong-doing and said he went along with the undercover team only to lure them to Pakistan where he would expose them.
An element of boasting and bartering is evident in the three conversations which took place in London in late April; Malik at first says it will cost £500,000 to buy enough players -and umpires - to guarantee the fixing of a match, but later comes down to £100,000 in cash. But overall Malik paints a picture which is so consistent in its details, and he is so careful to avoid answering difficult questions, that there is little room for doubting its authenticity. Pakistan's cricketers were the first to engage in match-fixing, according to Malik, when they were approached by bookmakers. Small bookmakers now stand to make around £150,000 a year from a commission and passing on bets to the big bookmakers, based in India.
To fix any match for certain, Malik says you need to engage five or six players in a team, including the captain. As a trial run, he suggests the businessmen can enlist one member of the current Pakistan team, a batsman, for £50,000 for one match. Malik emphasises that you must not try to fix too many matches -about one match per tournament -because the players have to be allowed to perform some of the time or they will be dropped. "It's important for old players to stay in the side so the business can continue," adds Malik.
He was asked what happened when both sides in a match had been paid to lose and he cites a game which both sides tried to lose. "Both sides were wondering what the hell was happening. We were trying to get them to score runs against us and they wouldn't."
After admitting he was Pakistan's captain in this match, Malik is asked if India were the opposition. "It was Australia," he replies. After seeing a transcript of these tapes last month, the Australian Cricket Board commissioned a new report under former detective Greg Melick which is due to be completed this week. Under scrutiny is the Singer Cup in Sri Lanka in 1994 and a match when Australia scored only 179 from 50 overs and Pakistan 150, without either team being bowled out.
Since those days the operation has become more sophisticated. "Nowadays matches are fixed straight away, but they also try and fix it during the game too," explains Malik. "That way people can't tell what is going on." Malik adds that fixing the umpires can also guarantee the outcome. "Yes, there are umpires at it. The Indians, Pakistanis and Sri Lankans, and West Indians, they do it. Englishmen do it a bit less."
This winter, Malik says, "it will be very easy for me to fix" the England series against Pakistan. "They all played with me and we've all sat together and done it before."
He then claims: "It's happening all over the world. It's everywhere. Just look at Hansie Cronje. It's everywhere." If nothing else, that at least seems to be somewhere near the truth.
Link:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/c...ape-lifts-the-lid-on-world-of-corruption.html
Comments: This is what the ICC and the PCB want Malik to clarify and respond too.
