[VIDEO] Cricket’s Match Fixers - Al Jazeera Investigations

[UN talkz]

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uYlk4izYVmw" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Al Jazeera

 

[UN talkz]

In response to the Al Jazeera broadcast, “Cricket’s Match Fixers”, Tom Harrison, Chief Executive Officer of the ECB, said:

“There is nothing we have seen that would make us doubt any of our players in any way whatsoever.

“The limited information we have been given has been discussed with all the England players.

“They emphatically deny the allegations, have stated categorically that the claims are false and they have our full support.

Tom Harrison continued:

“Neither ECB nor the ICC is aware of any credible evidence connecting any England players to any form of corruption.

“ECB had been aware of the planned Al Jazeera documentary for some time but have not been given the full content.

“There have been repeated requests for any evidence and unedited materials to be shared with the ICC so they can fully investigate.

“We, like other member Boards, are disappointed that Al Jazeera have not been more cooperative and responsible when making such serious allegations.

“ECB has a regular dialogue with the ICC and its anti-corruption unit, fully supports its work and will continue to cooperate with their review.”

 

[Abdullah719]

STATEMENT FROM ALEX MARSHALL, ICC GENERAL MANAGER – ANTI-CORRUPTION UNIT

“The ICC has now had the opportunity to view the documentary into corruption in cricket and as we have previously stated, we are taking the contents of the programme and the allegations it has made extremely seriously. A full investigation led by the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit, working with full cooperation from all Member countries identified in the programme, is now underway to examine each claim made.

“We have been in ongoing dialogue with the broadcaster which has refused our continual requests to cooperate and share information which has hampered our investigation to date. The content of the programme, is of course useful to the investigation, but I would now urge the production team to provide us with all un-edited and unseen evidence they are in possession of, to enable us to expedite a thorough investigation.

“Given this is a live investigation and one that is likely to be subject to the legal process, it is not possible to provide any further comment.

 

[shane]

I cannot see why Al Jazeera would have any problem providing the ICC with the raw footage. If they do, that casts significant doubt on the veracity of the broadcaster.

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

I cannot see why Al Jazeera would have any problem providing the ICC with the raw footage. If they do, that casts significant doubt on the veracity of the broadcaster.

In the complete 1 hour Al Jazeera documentary the match fixing bookie (Named Munawar) who is accused of being associated with the Indian Mafia D company claims that they have people who are in contact even at the ICC level and any problem that might arise due to Anti Corruption unit will be 'taken care of'.

Now the documentary doesn't go on to explain what this means but any person with even the slightest of understanding can comprehend the subtle implication that the person was trying to make i.e. there might be administrators in ICC who could be a part of this! (I am not making allegations here but trying to give the perceived POV which I think the documentary was trying to convey)

 

[Hamad_H]

Al Jazeera Investigations: Cricket's Match Fixers Discussion -A Must Watch for Cricket fans

I just watched the documentary and I was absolutely stunned. I am disgusted at what I saw. The fact that criminals run the game shows the depths of the ICC problems. Munaweer, one of the fixers, did not care about ICC ACU and said they'll be sorted with. They have contacts in the ICC and Cricket Councils who let them get away with this and they have Intl. players in their pockets who don't regard spot-fixing as cheating since it is fairly insignificant to the result.

The Sri Lankan curator made pitches which completely influenced the results of matches and to be honest, shows the reason why away tours are so difficult for teams. I know most Intl. pitches are not pitch-fixed but it shows the power of the curators to determine a result. The small details like the brush method mid-game shows the sophistication of this criminal world and how behind the ICC are in targeting criminals.

The Dubai tournament made for fixing is just shocking. I had a look and the only tournament that matched the description that Robin gave was the Ajman All Stars T20 League, the one that was investigated after the video showing batsmen giving away their wickets. It had four teams hailing from the Emirates he mentioned and had International players in it including Hasan Raza. Another Pakistani player in it was Salman Butt which was a little surprising considering what happened last time he was around a fixing allegation.

I have seen some people be sceptical about the England and Australia players who fixed and call it fake news but I am convinced by it. Of course, they have no video showing the players admit to it but in a 10 over range, they scored what Munaweer quoted and he predicted the final over correctly. The finer details are bleeped but without any admittance from players, they simply cannot air their names. The other journalist and officer who watched the footage were stunned as well and one of the journalists said it was obvious in the final over that the batsman on strike didn't want to score at all. Clearly by their reaction as well, they have proof and it is clear in the footage as well. (I hope the clips blurred are not the players involved because if one of the players who I think was blurred was involved, it would shock me completely). Names will be released WHEN the ICC review the footage and the reaction will be worse than the sandpaper scandal.

I did not believe fixing was so prevalent in the game, especially with the increased salaries for players but I guess that also means the stakes for fixers also have risen. But this is only the tip of the iceberg. They said they have players from every team, they have high ranking ICC officials, Cricket Boards who are complicit in their crimes. This documentary will not hurt the syndicates who fix games and outcomes robbing the crowd of an exciting contest because they have too much power in the cricket world and are too smart for the ICC. It is difficult to detect spot fixing but the ICC are responsible for maintaining the integrity for the game.

The ICC needs an overhaul. Clearly the ICC ACU is ineffective and can only stop fixing if they are notified by players. ICC needs to be investigated by police or prosecutors or anyone, similar to what happened to FIFA in their corruption case. With the Amir, Asif and Butt case, I felt that the punishments given were fair, perhaps Asif and Butt should've got life but not Amir. Now I think the ICC needs to show they have a "zero-tolerance" approach to fixing and give life bans to all fixers in International cricket no matter your age. International cricket needs to be preserved and the rise of the riches offered by leagues doesn't help so how can you preserve Intl. cricket when results are decided before the game even starts. As an player representing your country at the highest level, you should know what is right and wrong. With the Amir case, it shows the failure of the ICC in preventing fixing and having the trust of players and clearly that hasn't changed. If the Court of Arbitration for Sport doesn't get involved I will be shocked.

The fact that everyone is denying everything with Root calling it "ridiculous" and Bayliss calling it "outrageous" before even watching it just shows how blind everyone is. It was labelled as impossible to fix sessions in the way Munaweer did but clearly it is not if you know the right people and again shows how blind everyone is to fixing. The question is are they are actually unaware or are they choosing to be unaware? They had their sights set on fixing England vs. Sri Lanka later this year so I wonder what the ECB would say about that because that is clear proof available to everyone that fixing is prevalent.

I wonder who the anonymous player was telling his story and sharing his knowledge and who are the players involved but even if they released the names of the players in the fixes mentioned in this documentary, I am sure there are a lot more players who are involved in schemes like this.

Thank you for reading this and I would love to know if other people share the same ideas as me. I am sure every cricket fan like me will want honest and genuine answers in the coming days for these allegations. I am just angry at how the game I love has been corrupted to this level. I will link relevant videos below. (The shorter Al Jazeera videos are in the full documentary).

If didn't read the whole thing, please just watch the documentary as it shines a lot of light on a dark subject in cricket. I basically summed it all up with my thoughts and opinions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYlk4izYVmw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNpv9UV4lnk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8LDxzkQMk8&t=87s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xAHi48H4ml&t=3s

 

[shane]

Here's a thought. Is there a difference between a player, let's say batsman, under-performing for money and a player giving information about his performance for money?

For example, if a player knows that he is going to block the last over before lunch because that is part of his strategy then, if he sells that information to a bookie, is that different from a player who, for money, ACTUALLY changes his game and blocks the last over before lunch?

 

[AamirWarraich]

This stuff makes me lose hope in international sports

 

[Forum363]

Here's a thought. Is there a difference between a player, let's say batsman, under-performing for money and a player giving information about his performance for money?

For example, if a player knows that he is going to block the last over before lunch because that is part of his strategy then, if he sells that information to a bookie, is that different from a player who, for money, ACTUALLY changes his game and blocks the last over before lunch?

Since he’s been paid for that information he is then incentivised to ensure it’s correct ie actually block out the over. Whereas in reality he might have instinctively put away a bad ball or play a naturally atracking shot to get to a milestone etc

Secondly surely it is illegal to sell strategy details to bookies. Have nothing to back that up but it would be crazy if it wasn’t.

 

[Hedz]

It was a difficult watch as a cricket fan and the 2010 memories came rushing back
As a young kid who had just started watching cricket with a growing interest it was heart breaking to see some of my favourite players getting involved in that case, in many ways I began to dislike the sport and stopped watching for a while

After watching the documentary it is evident that fixing is much more prevalent in the game than fans want to believe or accept. I’ve overlooked the XI’s for the suspect matches and if proven true (high chance of it) a lot of big cricketing names are likely to be involved. Cricket would be completely shaken, fans will lose trust and respect. In many ways, I hope it isn’t true.

That said, those caught up in this should publicly announce who are facilitating this type of behaviour and bans should be distributed to all perpetrators and not only the players.

 

[shane]

Since he’s been paid for that information he is then incentivised to ensure it’s correct ie actually block out the over. Whereas in reality he might have instinctively put away a bad ball or play a naturally atracking shot to get to a milestone etc

Secondly surely it is illegal to sell strategy details to bookies. Have nothing to back that up but it would be crazy if it wasn’t.

I remember some time ago Shane Warne (and I think Mark Waugh) were given a slap on the wrist by the ACB (as it was back then) for selling "information" to bookies. They said it was just information about the weather and the pitch, but it makes you wonder...

 

[introvert]

I found player envolvement allegations baseless. Al jazeera's investigation about it is also pretty mediocre and it clearly shows investigators prior knowledge about cricket is also zero.
Without conclusive evidence they can't just believe what fixer says about highlights of test match. It all sounds like sensationalism.

Pitch doctoring by fixers is only finding from this documentary and it is serious because it directly impacts result of the match.

 

[Napa]

Here's a thought. Is there a difference between a player, let's say batsman, under-performing for money and a player giving information about his performance for money?

For example, if a player knows that he is going to block the last over before lunch because that is part of his strategy then, if he sells that information to a bookie, is that different from a player who, for money, ACTUALLY changes his game and blocks the last over before lunch?

Yes, there is a very big difference.

The first action (selling information about the weather or playing strategy without actually changing the way the player plays) only gives the bookie advantage over others. It does not reduce the chances of the team winning the game, and is hence not a betrayal of the team.

The second action, changing the game can only mean that the player is reducing the chances of winning. The player is supposed to give his best, and any change can only be giving less than the best effort. That is betrayal of the team and country.

Completely different!

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

No evidence No evidence No evidence No evidence No evidence No evidence No evidence No evidence No evidence No evidence No evidence No evidence No evidence No evidence No evidence No evidence No evidence No evidence No evidence No evidence

 

[James]

I understand the names not being made public because of the risk to reputations and integrity, but why would the names not be passed on to the relevant cricket boards and the ICC so it can be looked into properly with those players making statements on record? Makes no sense.

 

[SL_Fan]

Seen the preview but haven't seen it in full yet. Might give it a watch tonight. If they were confident of the claims tho why would they not release the player names and how things went down exactly.

 

[TalhaSyed]

I've not seen the documentary yet, however, having read a few articles on the matter, so far it seems like Al Jazeera have been absolutely hopeless.

Normally a well reputable and trust worthy news source - in this instance (so far!!) the have just spewed out masala news.

Name names and release the unedited raw footage to the ACU, ICC and relevant cricket boards. Until this happens, it shows zero credibility in the Al Jazeera reporting

 

[Abdullah719]

Match-fixers fired, call for criminal probe after Al Jazeera film

Sri Lanka's sports minister has urged the country's cricket board to hand over the inquiry into Al Jazeera's pitch-fixing allegations to law enforcement authorities.

The move follows the Sri Lanka board's decision to suspend a player and assistant manager exposed in Al Jazeera's investigation broadcast on Sunday.

The board reported the two men to the Criminal Investigations Department and sports minister Faiszer Musthapha said the inquiry must be taken over by law enforcement.

Musthapha said he was "saddened and dismayed" by the Al Jazeera documentary, Cricket's Match-Fixers and pledged to "rid cricket and all other sports of corruption".

Sri Lanka's cricket board has suspended a player and an official exposed in Al Jazeera's investigation into match-fixing.

The board has reported the two men to the Criminal Investigations Department, as the fallout from the documentary Cricket's Match-Fixers continues.

The two men suspended are Tharanga Indika, a curator and assistant manager at Galle International Stadium, and Tharindu Mendis, a professional cricketer.

Both were secretly filmed by an undercover reporter from Al Jazeera's Investigative Unit. They said they had fixed two Test matches and were planning to fix a third later this year.

The International Cricket Council (ICC), world cricket's governing body, has launched an investigation into all the allegations of match-fixing in the Al Jazeera documentary.

The ICC says it is taking the allegations "very seriously".

Alex Marshall, the head of the ICC's anti-corruption unit, said it is working with investigators "from all member countries identified in the programme".

Cricket's Match-Fixers was released on Sunday and continues to make headline news across the world.


England, Australia players accused

The documentary includes allegations that three England players carried out spot-fixes during a Test match in India in December 2016.

The England and Wales Cricket Board said it had spoken to the England players, who "emphatically deny the allegations".

England Test captain Joe Root and coach Trevor Bayliss said the allegations were "outrageous", although both said they had not seen the documentary.

Bayliss told the BBC: "We'll just leave that up to the ECB to deal with."

The ECB and Cricket Australia said they would cooperate fully with the ICC investigation.

The documentary also includes allegations that two unnamed Australian players were involved in spot-fixing.

Cricket Australia's chief executive, James Sutherland, said he was not aware of any "credible evidence" linking Australian players to corruption.

Australia's captain Tim Paine added: "At this stage, it's unsubstantiated claims. We're confident that none of our guys are involved in it."


Investigations launched

Al Jazeera highlighted allegations of match-fixing in four Test matches - the highest level of the international game.

Two of them, at Chennai and Ranchi, concerned allegations of spot-fixing in games in India involving England and Australia.

The other two centred on evidence that the pitch at Galle had been doctored to control the results.

The documentary also revealed that criminals were planning to fix another Test match at Galle, later this year.

The Sri Lanka allegations have raised questions about future Test matches there.

England are due in Sri Lanka from October 10 to November 27. The two sides are scheduled to play a Test match at Galle on November 6-10.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said it would follow ICC guidelines on anti-corruption operations for forthcoming tours.

The Pakistan Cricket Board said it was investigating "the alleged involvement in corrupt conduct" of one of its players.

Hasan Raza, the former Pakistan star, is shown in the documentary agreeing to take part in a corrupt cricket tournament set up purely for match-fixing.

Raza has declined to respond to a request for comment from Al Jazeera but has since denied any connection with match-fixing.

The documentary has received extensive media coverage all over the world, including in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and South Africa.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018...al-probe-al-jazeera-film-180528155812957.html

 

[Markhor]

I've watched the Al Jazeera documentary this morning. It's an interesting look into the sleazy underbelly of the game that we know exists but rarely do the ringleaders get captured on camera. A few takeaways:

1) The most publicised allegations involve the India Tests against England in Chennai and Australia in Ranchi. The problem is that unlike the NOTW investigation of 2010 which helped uncover Majeed's contacts with the players and the transfer of money - here its one individual that's the source claiming to represent D-Company saying he set up a fix where the batsmen score slowly over a session of overs (note Al Jazeera defined "session" as a period of 10 overs; not a whole session of play).

What I'd like someone to explain who knows more about fixing is how can you differentiate an attempt to fix from a normal passage of play ? Given how poorly England and Australia play spin and the nature of Tests on Asian wickets - why would it be abnormal for there to be a slow scoring rate ? Ed Hawkins and the Interpol officer found it compelling evidence, and the names of the players were bleeped out probably to avoid defamation charges. However, the programme didn't present any evidence that the bookie had any direct or indirect contacts with the players, only that the event occurred.

2) The Sri Lankan pitch fixing allegations involving Robin Morris (fixing pitches from his hotel bed it seems) were more substantial, especially with the culprits caught on camera. It's worrying for Sri Lankan cricket which's already in a parlous state, it seems there's corruption from top to bottom, and I find it hard to believe the Board which is heavily politicised and corrupt itself will make the necessary reforms without outside intervention from ICC.

3) The accusations that T20 tournaments in the UAE had been staged for the purposes of fixing isn't surprising, especially the Ajman All Stars tournament which looked blatantly fixed at the time. The UAE is a den of fixers and I worry about Pakistani players getting caught up in this given its our adopted home. What a sad fall from grace for Hasan Raza by the way.

Whatever comes of this programme, cricket needs to fix itself (pardon the pun) and it needs to start from the top with the ICC and Member Boards which has long been in need of a FIFA-style probe. I found it concerning that the fixers weren't worried about ICC ACU investigations whatsoever, saying they could handle them ! The ICC seem to be constantly playing catchup with these bookies becoming increasingly sophisticated in the way they are corrupting the sport. As more money flows into the game from T20 leagues, you'd think players would be less tempted to fall into the trap - but as long as greed is part of the human condition then these scandals will continue to surface.

 

[Yossarian]

Ed Hawkins and the Interpol officer found it compelling evidence, and the names of the players were bleeped out probably to avoid defamation charges. However, the programme didn't present any evidence that the bookie had any direct or indirect contacts with the players, only that the event occurred..

Apparently the footage was edited such that there was no possibility of the accused players being identified, either to the viewers or even to the accused players teammates who weren't involved in the fix. But presumably the unedited raw footage should/would backup the allegations made by Al Jazeera if true.

Showing any details of direct or indirect contact between the bookies and the accused players would have risked identifying the accused players to the teammates. eg If contact was made at a bar/ nightclub or hotel, other teammates would have known who was/ was not around at the time and thus be able to deduce the identities of the accused.

 

[Yossarian]

....... set up a fix where the batsmen score slowly over a session of overs (note Al Jazeera defined "session" as a period of 10 overs; not a whole session of play)..

Check which partnerships lasted 10 overs or more, and you start narrowing it down.

 

[KingKhanWC]

I've watched the Al Jazeera documentary this morning. It's an interesting look into the sleazy underbelly of the game that we know exists but rarely do the ringleaders get captured on camera. A few takeaways:

1) The most publicised allegations involve the India Tests against England in Chennai and Australia in Ranchi. The problem is that unlike the NOTW investigation of 2010 which helped uncover Majeed's contacts with the players and the transfer of money - here its one individual that's the source claiming to represent D-Company saying he set up a fix where the batsmen score slowly over a session of overs (note Al Jazeera defined "session" as a period of 10 overs; not a whole session of play).

What I'd like someone to explain who knows more about fixing is how can you differentiate an attempt to fix from a normal passage of play ? Given how poorly England and Australia play spin and the nature of Tests on Asian wickets - why would it be abnormal for there to be a slow scoring rate ? Ed Hawkins and the Interpol officer found it compelling evidence, and the names of the players were bleeped out probably to avoid defamation charges. However, the programme didn't present any evidence that the bookie had any direct or indirect contacts with the players, only that the event occurred.

2) The Sri Lankan pitch fixing allegations involving Robin Morris (fixing pitches from his hotel bed it seems) were more substantial, especially with the culprits caught on camera. It's worrying for Sri Lankan cricket which's already in a parlous state, it seems there's corruption from top to bottom, and I find it hard to believe the Board which is heavily politicised and corrupt itself will make the necessary reforms without outside intervention from ICC.

3) The accusations that T20 tournaments in the UAE had been staged for the purposes of fixing isn't surprising, especially the Ajman All Stars tournament which looked blatantly fixed at the time. The UAE is a den of fixers and I worry about Pakistani players getting caught up in this given its our adopted home. What a sad fall from grace for Hasan Raza by the way.

Whatever comes of this programme, cricket needs to fix itself (pardon the pun) and it needs to start from the top with the ICC and Member Boards which has long been in need of a FIFA-style probe. I found it concerning that the fixers weren't worried about ICC ACU investigations whatsoever, saying they could handle them ! The ICC seem to be constantly playing catchup with these bookies becoming increasingly sophisticated in the way they are corrupting the sport. As more money flows into the game from T20 leagues, you'd think players would be less tempted to fall into the trap - but as long as greed is part of the human condition then these scandals will continue to surface.

Odds are based on this type of reasoning. E.g in a normal period of play(with a good batting wicket) the bookies may give you odds of 1/1 for scoring above 85 runs and 1/1 for below 85 runs. If the scoring is expected to slow(due to conditions or match circumstances) the odds could be along the lines of 1/1 for 65 runs below or more in the session. So if a fix is taking place, the batsmen will score even lower than 65 to win the bet.

 

[PakSarZameen]

I've watched the Al Jazeera documentary this morning. It's an interesting look into the sleazy underbelly of the game that we know exists but rarely do the ringleaders get captured on camera. A few takeaways:

1) The most publicised allegations involve the India Tests against England in Chennai and Australia in Ranchi. The problem is that unlike the NOTW investigation of 2010 which helped uncover Majeed's contacts with the players and the transfer of money - here its one individual that's the source claiming to represent D-Company saying he set up a fix where the batsmen score slowly over a session of overs (note Al Jazeera defined "session" as a period of 10 overs; not a whole session of play).

What I'd like someone to explain who knows more about fixing is how can you differentiate an attempt to fix from a normal passage of play ? Given how poorly England and Australia play spin and the nature of Tests on Asian wickets - why would it be abnormal for there to be a slow scoring rate ? Ed Hawkins and the Interpol officer found it compelling evidence, and the names of the players were bleeped out probably to avoid defamation charges. However, the programme didn't present any evidence that the bookie had any direct or indirect contacts with the players, only that the event occurred.

2) The Sri Lankan pitch fixing allegations involving Robin Morris (fixing pitches from his hotel bed it seems) were more substantial, especially with the culprits caught on camera. It's worrying for Sri Lankan cricket which's already in a parlous state, it seems there's corruption from top to bottom, and I find it hard to believe the Board which is heavily politicised and corrupt itself will make the necessary reforms without outside intervention from ICC.

3) The accusations that T20 tournaments in the UAE had been staged for the purposes of fixing isn't surprising, especially the Ajman All Stars tournament which looked blatantly fixed at the time. The UAE is a den of fixers and I worry about Pakistani players getting caught up in this given its our adopted home. What a sad fall from grace for Hasan Raza by the way.

Whatever comes of this programme, cricket needs to fix itself (pardon the pun) and it needs to start from the top with the ICC and Member Boards which has long been in need of a FIFA-style probe. I found it concerning that the fixers weren't worried about ICC ACU investigations whatsoever, saying they could handle them ! The ICC seem to be constantly playing catchup with these bookies becoming increasingly sophisticated in the way they are corrupting the sport. As more money flows into the game from T20 leagues, you'd think players would be less tempted to fall into the trap - but as long as greed is part of the human condition then these scandals will continue to surface.

One could argue if 2 and 3 are correct then point 1 must be correct too.

I personally have no doubt that those 5 (3 from England, 2 from Australia) were indeed involved.

 

[ElRaja]

What I'd like someone to explain who knows more about fixing is how can you differentiate an attempt to fix from a normal passage of play ? Given how poorly England and Australia play spin and the nature of Tests on Asian wickets - why would it be abnormal for there to be a slow scoring rate ?

first the mechanics of betting, to be a bookie you want to take neither side of a bet, you want to offer odds which build in a spread for you and then have equal amounts of money wagered both sides.

so for a coin flip you would like to make a 5/6 market in each heads or tails, regardless of what happens if half the people wager money on either you earn 1/6.

however the odds, or market isnt set by one guy. theres tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of bets coming left, right and centre to thousands of bookies in mumbai alone.

all these bookies set there own market, now given what you say lets assume a totally naive bookie sets a market of 41 for a ten over period, so 40 and below, or 42 and above.

if you suddenly start getting everyone backing under, it doesnt matter what u know or dont know u will have to lower your market till you start getting bets on the other side. its the market discovery for consensus of likely runs scored when you have half and half bets each side.

so when the fixer says its gonna be below a certain level, hes inevitably betting on a coin flip. but the kicker is the "manda" over.

usually you get evens on a 2 or under over, which means likely hood is about 2/5 for this to occur.

so to correctly predict 2 session + 2 mandas = 1/2*1/2*2/5*2/5 = 4/100

so you'd likely get all four right 4% of the time

of course the disclaimer to this is if the so called fixer is feeding the punter to a rigged bookie offering him juiced markets to entice him to keep betting, i.e. keeping the mids of the 10 over markets high, like say 41, and the manda threshold high, like 4 runs or under.

its late so i may be waffly, but hope that helps understand why its not a simple case of saying, its aus and eng playing in india, everyone knows they'll bat slow. in a fair market the odds would reflect that.

 

[UN talkz]

COLOMBO: World Cup-winning skipper Arjuna Ranatunga on Wednesday said corruption “goes right to the top” in Sri Lanka and accused the International Cricket Council of undermining the game by failing to tackle match-fixing.

Ranatunga, now a government minister, said cricket corruption in Sri Lanka went far beyond the claims made in an Al Jazeera documentary which aired on Sunday.

Ranatunga said the allegations must be investigated, “but this must have been happening for a long time.

“This is something that goes right to the top (in Sri Lanka). What they will catch is the small fish. As usual, the bigger fish will get away,” he said.

The documentary alleged that a Sri Lankan player and groundsman were involved a pitch-tampering plot and that there was spot-fixing during Tests between India and England, and India against Australia.

middle stories
“I am so disappointed with the ICC anti-corruption unit,” Ranatunga said, referring to previous complaints against Sri Lanka Cricket, which is headed by politician and businessman Thilanga Sumathipala.

The 54-year-old, who led Sri Lanka´s 1996 World Cup-winning team, has in the past accused Sumathipala of involvement in gambling in violation of ICC rules. Sumathipala has denied the charge.

“If they can´t see what is happening in Sri Lanka… they should not sit on this anti-corruption unit,” Ranatunga told reporters.

He said the Sri Lankans implicated in the Al Jazeera documentary could not change the outcome of a Test match unless they had backing from superiors.

“They are small fish,” Ranatunga said referring to the groundsman of the Galle stadium, Tharanga Indika, and a district coach, Tharindu Mendis.

“They can´t do it unless they have an agreement with those right at the top.”

World Cup final
Indika and Mendis have been suspended while the ICC investigates accusations made in Al-Jazeera´s undercover report. Sri Lankan police have also started an inquiry.

Asked if the Galle groundsman was in a position to tamper with the pitch, Ranatunga said: “There is a top guy involved. He should be held responsible. He should be suspended, not only the person who got (directly) involved.”

Ranatunga said the global audience for cricket was declining because of corruption allegations. He blamed the ICC.

“The ACU has been very poor. They have not used some of their powers and I think that is one reason why cricket has gone down very badly in the world in the last so many years.

“They (the ICC) need to take a big step and take a lot of hard decisions,” Ranatunga added.

Ranatunga said last year, he raised suspicions that the 2011 World Cup final was tainted.

“The ICC did not investigate, Sri Lanka Cricket did not investigate and we allowed things to continue,” he said, adding that he was still distressed by Sri Lanka´s six-wicket defeat in the Mumbai final.

Sri Lanka, batting first, scored 274-6 off 50 overs and appeared in a commanding position when Indian superstar Sachin Tendulkar was caught for 18. But India turned the game dramatically, thanks partly to poor fielding and bowling by Sri Lanka.

Local media raised suspicions of Sri Lankans throwing the match, but there was no formal call for an investigation until Ranatunga´s outburst last year.

Ranatunga said Sri Lanka´s humiliating 3-2 loss to bottom-ranked Zimbabwe in five one-day matches on home soil last year should also be investigated.

In 2016, the ICC imposed a three-year ban on a Sri Lankan official, Jayananda Warnaweera, for failing to cooperate with an anti-corruption investigation.

The former Test player, who was facing a two-year domestic ban over allegations of involvement in match-fixing, failed to attend interviews with ICC investigators.

Sri Lankan players and umpires have been accused of match-fixing in the past, but Warnaweera is the highest-ranking official to be sanctioned.

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/20...s-right-to-the-top-says-sri-lankas-ranatunga/

 

[PakLFC]

Match fixing goes on in Cricket and most likely will always be there. Players who are financially vulnerable will always be targets for fixers. Good thing is that the media can't only point all these controversies at Pak anymore. Pak could possibly be one of the cleanest countries now, it has been a while since we got involved in any such mishap.

 

[Sherlock]

Honestly, I think Al-Jazeera might've jumped the gun here. All that I've read and watched doesn't really prove much, barring the people involved bragging about doing the fixing. I do hope they have more to offer than what is on paper and tape.

 

[waleed88]

Remember the Hue and cry when the a tabloid newspaper broke the spot fixing scandal in 2010, and how the world of cricket was 'rocked' by it. (Not saying they were innocent) This news about the Indians comes and goes, and is silently swept under the carpet.

Lets be honest, media can any story loook larger than what it is supposed to be. Whether its the 'acceptance of ball tampering by Smith and Warner' - making them seem like criminals, or alleging that one of the Pakistani team members were responsible for the death of Bob Woolmer. They can rise the temperature up whenever it seems fit.

 

[Abdullah719]

Al-Jazeera have fresh evidence of cricket corruption to air

After the first documentary on spot-fixing in cricket, the Doha based channel Al-Jazeera have reportedly fresh evidence of cricket corruption to telecast.

According to Daily Mail, cricket is bracing itself for new corruption allegations after it emerged that Al-Jazeera have gathered fresh evidence for a follow-up broadcast to their recent match-fixing documentary.

Details of the second programme remain under wraps but Sportsmail understands it is likely to include concerns about the integrity of at least one other Test match.

The first programme alleged that three England and two Australia Test players were involved in spot-fixing during games in India in 2016 and 2017. England have strongly denied the claims.

The new show is also likely to delve more deeply into the activity of Aneel Munawar, an alleged operative with Mumbai crime syndicate D-Company. Al Jazeera are confident Munawar is who he claims to be, and not a chancer looking to make a quick buck.

He was a central figure in Al Jazeera’s explosive Cricket’s Match Fixers documentary and also featured in a photo in Wednesday’s Sportsmail, standing in a hotel lobby in Galle, Sri Lanka, only a few yards from England stars Graeme Swann and Tim Bresnan.

The photo was taken six years ago, and there is no suggestion whatsoever of any wrongdoing on the part of either Swann or Bresnan.

News of Al Jazeera’s planned follow-up will come as a blow to the ICC’s anti-corruption officials, especially with the game’s governing body currently attempting to persuade the network to hand over all unused material from the first show.

ICC chief executive Dave Richardson said on Wednesday that officials from his anti-corruption unit would meet the broadcasters in the next couple of days, and added that ‘there’s no reason to think we’re not going to be allowed to investigate fully by Al Jazeera’.

But a spokesman for Al Jazeera’s investigative unit told Sportsmail: ‘No meeting has been arranged. We are considering the legal implications of co-operating with the ICC, given the possibility of criminal and/or civil proceedings arising. We are committed to exposing corruption in cricket.’

Richardson also expressed annoyance at suggestions that the ICC would be less than rigorous in their investigation.

He said: ‘I’m a little perturbed by any accusation that we would attempt to sweep it under the carpet or pretend that nothing has happened.’

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/20...-fresh-evidence-of-cricket-corruption-to-air/

 

[the Great Khan]

Remember the Hue and cry when the a tabloid newspaper broke the spot fixing scandal in 2010, and how the world of cricket was 'rocked' by it. (Not saying they were innocent) This news about the Indians comes and goes, and is silently swept under the carpet.

Lets be honest, media can any story loook larger than what it is supposed to be. Whether its the 'acceptance of ball tampering by Smith and Warner' - making them seem like criminals, or alleging that one of the Pakistani team members were responsible for the death of Bob Woolmer. They can rise the temperature up whenever it seems fit.

exactly. Just imagine for one second, this involved three current Pakistan test players , who had been bribed to spot fix in a match against India/Aus/Eng. There would be an international outcry. The Indian media would have a field day and Reuters and the murdoch media would run with it everywhere.

Why? Because its part of a broader political and cultural confrontation that dictates what gets given prime time in the media and what doesn't.

The key to understand is that India is a hub for numerous cricket activities both legitimate and illegitimate. They should be held to account for all activities that are illegitimate and that can prove detrimental to the international game.

 

[Napa]

Remember the Hue and cry when the a tabloid newspaper broke the spot fixing scandal in 2010, and how the world of cricket was 'rocked' by it. (Not saying they were innocent) This news about the Indians comes and goes, and is silently swept under the carpet.

You have to look at the evidence. Wasn't there evidence showing that the match-fixers of 2010 were playing the way they had previously said they would? Such evidence is lacking here.

 

[waleed88]

You have to look at the evidence. Wasn't there evidence showing that the match-fixers of 2010 were playing the way they had previously said they would? Such evidence is lacking here.

Circumstantial evidence, if you just looked at the video that was published, the video doesn't establish that it was made after or before the 1st day of the test match. (It can't do that legally speaking) Not saying any of the 3 are innocent here.

Just the conclusion that was drawn from the fake sheikh's evidence on the media.

Just like Bob Woolmer's death was confirmed to be homicide..

 

[Pete Rose]

I am petrified that Pakistan might be a part of it. The producers of the documentary did say they have another part that they have yet to release.

 

[Abdullah719]

ICC believes new T20 leagues are at greatest risk of corruption

Global cricket chiefs believe newly-emerging domestic Twenty20 competitions are the tournaments at greatest risk of corruption, following match-fixing allegations made by broadcaster Al Jazeera.

International Cricket Council (ICC) officials are due to meet with Al Jazeera management as they look to explore all of the material, including as yet unbroadcast footage of claims against unnamed players that the Middle East-based television channel also alluded to in its documentary ´Cricket´s Match-Fixers´.

David Richardson, the ICC´s chief executive, has promised a thorough investigation of all the allegations while admitting that the rash of Twenty20 leagues springing up all over the world are especially vulnerable to fixing.

“I think those leagues do provide an additional opportunity for the people that want to get involved and try and fix,” Richardson told reporters in London on Wednesday at an event to mark a year until the 2019 Cricket World Cup in England and Wales.

“So what we need to make sure is that anyone staging a T20 domestic tournament, especially televised, that they have in place minimum standards for dealing with the problem.

“To make sure they have an anti-corruption code in place that is applicable to the tournament, that all the players are educated, and that we are monitoring the franchise owners, the people involved in the tournament, doing due diligence.”

The Al Jazeera programme quoted a self-acknowledged fixer suggesting the ICC´s own anti-corruption unit was of little concern to the major criminal gangs involved in trying to manipulate cricket — which now mainly occurs through spot-fixing where incidents within a game are fixed to facilitate betting coups.

This only requires bribing a few players, rather than the greater number of cricketers in a match needed to make sure of fixing the result.

There have been claims that the ACU is desperately under-resourced for the job it has to do and former South Africa wicket-keeper Richardson, asked if it could cope with its workload, replied: “Well, not necessarily at ICC, but certainly in conjunction with our members.

“So it´s going to be a case in the future that before any approval is given for these types of tournaments that happen outside the full members, they´ve got to show that they´ve either got the ICC involved in setting up an anti-corruption unit, or the tournament doesn´t take place.—Agencies

https://pakobserver.net/icc-believes-new-t20-leagues-are-at-greatest-risk-of-corruption/

 

[Napa]

ICC believes new T20 leagues are at greatest risk of corruption

Global cricket chiefs believe newly-emerging domestic Twenty20 competitions are the tournaments at greatest risk of corruption, following match-fixing allegations made by broadcaster Al Jazeera.

ICC is feeling its control slip away as IPL becomes bigger and bigger. No wonder it is now slandering domestic T20 leagues.

ICC is institutionalized corruption. Its office bearers draw fat pay checks for doing a minimal amount of work.

 

[hadi123]

Statement from Dave Richardson:

“I ask Al Jazeera to release to us all the material they have relating to corruption in cricket. We will conduct a full, thorough and fair investigation and will ensure no stone is left unturned as we examine all allegations of corruption made in the programme. To do so, we need to see all the evidence they state they possess.

“I am encouraged by their public commitment to cooperate and now ask that they do so, in releasing all relevant material. We understand and fully respect the need to protect journalistic sources and our ACU team have worked with other media companies on that basis. However, to prove or disprove these allegations, we need to see the evidence referred to in the programme.”

https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/697923

 

[UN talkz]

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s cricket chief on Thursday lambasted former skipper Arjuna Ranatunga for casting a corruption shadow over the country’s 2011 World Cup defeat and in turn questioned Ranatunga’s actions as a player.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) president Thilanga Sumathi*pala said Ranatunga, who captained the country to its 1996 World Cup victory, should have followed “the right protocol” instead of raising doubts.

Ranatunga, who is now Sri Lanka’s petroleum minister, said on Wednesday that he believed the 2011 final when India beat Sri Lanka was tainted though he did not give details.

Sumathipala said Ranatunga’s own conduct when he failed to defend the World Cup in 1999 could also be questioned.

“He [Ranatunga] could not come to the final round in 1999. We were out from the first round. We lost badly in some matches... and people were also saying at that time ‘don’t know whether this man has thrown the match’,” Sumathipala said.

Sumathipala and Rana*tunga are political arch-rivals. Ranatunga’s brother Nishantha is standing against Sumathipala for the board presidency and a court on Wednesday suspended the vote.

Corruption allegations are regularly part of their fight.

Local media had raised suspicions of Sri Lankans throwing the 2011 final, but there was no formal call for an investigation until Ranatunga made an outburst last year which he repeated on Wednesday.

Sumathipala said Rana*tunga was suggesting that 2011 captain Kumar Sangakkara, who is affectionately known as Sanga, and his deputy Mahela Jayawardene had thrown the match.

“Why is he [Ranatunga] trying to drag them into this seven years after the match,” Sumathipala said. “We are implying that Sanga and Mahela have thrown the match. “It’s not fair. Sanga and Mahela have done so much for world cricket and they are respectable people in the eyes of the public.”

https://www.dawn.com/news/1411200/slc-chief-hits-back-at-ranatunga

 

[Abdullah719]

India U-19 captain under scanner for playing unsanctioned league in Mauritius

Delhi's wicketkeeper-batsman Anuj Rawat, who recently captained India U-19 in four-day matches in Sri Lanka, is under the scanner for playing an unsanctioned T20 league in Mauritius last year along with a host of Pakistani cricketers.

The tournament was held in June last year and Anuj played in it alongside some lesser-known first-class players like Asad Pathan.

Normally for playing in leagues in UK or Bangladesh, a cricketer needs (No Objection Certificate) NOC from BCCI to apply for visa.

However, for travelling to Mauritius, Indian nationals don't need a visa if the intended stay is for not more than 60 days.

The visa policy states: "You don't need a visa to enter Mauritius. On arrival, your passport will be stamped allowing entry to the country for 60 days. You'll need to be able to provide evidence of onward or return travel."

The rule allowed the cricketers to bypass BCCI and play in the tournament, which featured a lot of questionable names.

It is learnt that India's U-19 World Cup hero Manjot Kalra had also sought permission from the BCCI to play this particular tournament, only to be rejected by the parent body.

Anuj, who is currently playing a one day series against Sri Lanka colts, appeared to have not procured any NOC from the BCCI to play in the unsanctioned tournament.

A youtube video of the tournament has emerged and Anuj is seen playing in a match between teams named Flac Royals and Quatre Borne.

Anuj's opposing team comprised former Pakistan cricketer Hasan Raza and ex-England international Owais Shah, who had featured in the sting operation conducted by the Al Jazeera network.

Acting BCCI secretary Amitabh Chaudhary was shocked to know that some players have played in the unsanctioned tournament.

"The age group players are educated by BCCI at the national level. This is very unfortunate if junior players have gone ahead and played unsanctioned tournament. This needs to be looked into seriously," Choudhary told PTI today.

BCCI GM (Cricket Operations) Saba Karim said that he was unaware of the developments.

"For any tournament outside India, the players need to seek NOC from BCCI. I am not aware whether Anuj sought permission or not. You could check with DDCA," Karim said.

A senior DDCA official confirmed that Anuj has not taken any permission from the state association.

Anuj made his first-class debut last year and scored 178 runs in three games with two half centuries.

He couldn't make it to the U-19 World Cup squad in New Zealand due to poor show in the lead-up tournaments.

However, he was rewarded with captaincy of the days side and led them to a 2-0 victory in the Youth Test series in Sri Lanka recently.

Anuj can still claim that he was unaware of the rules as in June 2017, he was not part of the national U-19 camp.

However, the BCCI, in all likelihood, could ask him a few tough questions about flouting the rules of the parent body.

https://www.business-standard.com/a...ioned-league-in-mauritius-118080201504_1.html

 

[Arham_PakFan]

Doesn’t look good for the guy.I don’t think anything will happen as he wasn’t affiliated with the Indian U-19 side then.

 

[OmaIR1]

For things like this to slip under the radar it's important to have a guy on the inside. I don't doubt that the roots of "fixing" reach all the way to the ICC. In my opinion nothing will come of this for that reason.