Fixing the menace of match-fixing!
Bangladeshi skipper Shakib Al Hasan has confirmed that he was approached by an unknown person on the eve of Bangladesh's one-day series against Ireland in March, 2008 in Dhaka. He said that the anonymous caller asked him to under-perform and offered a sponsorship in return.
The incident, that most probably took place in Dhaka in March 2008, involved a short phone call on the evening of Bangladesh's ODI home series against Ireland.
Bangladesh was leading the match and was projected to win it easily. However, Bangladesh won the match to clinch the series by a comfortable margin of 3-0. Shakib, at that time was not the captain of the Bangladeshi team.
Shakib, following the strict course of action of the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU), instantly reported the case to a Bangladesh Cricket Board official and ASCU's regional manager, Colonel Qaza Noor.
Shakib revealed that it has been a long time, some two-and-a-half years ago, since the incident happened. He told the media that he did not talk to the caller for long because he had to go to a team meeting. As a result, Shakib asked the bookie to call later. However, the Bangladeshi captain never heard from the caller again. He, at once reported the case to a board member as well as an ICC official.
Shakib said that the exact nature of the offer was not fully revealed. The caller did not clearly mention about fixing the match, rather the caller said that he wanted to be Shakib’s sponsor.
The skipper added that playing for his homeland is a source of great pride for him. Shakib has a well settled family with strong economical resources which is why the player did not care about the money being offered to him.
On the same day, when Shakib revealed the case, the Daily Telegraph disclosed that a senior county cricketer was approached to fix televised a one-day contest in the English domestic cricket. Later on, the ECB confirmed that the two players had reported that approaches were made to them who were asked to "tell their prices". All this has confirmed the fears of Lord Condon, the outgoing head of the ASCU that the menace of match-fixing will never be entirely wiped out. If the players and administration relaxed their vigilance, it could "spread like a rash".
"Cricket probably has the strongest anti-corruption code for players and support staff of any international sport," said Condon.
The young generation of players is vigilant enough that if they under-perform for fixing, bet on games or even if they do not report any such approach, they will commit a disciplinary offense.
Condon said that they have the right to ask for a player’s phone record, if they have due reason, and the player will be bound to provide them.
ASCU has introduced an education program to raise the awareness about who are the fixers; how they fix and how do they groom the players. All the youngsters interested in playing international cricket will have to go through that program. So far, the program has been very well planned and quite helpful. The new generation of players is quite supportive and well aware of the fixer’s way of operation.
England's captain, Andrew Strauss verified that he has never heard or had any reason to even think that a game that he has played in has been fixed by any means. If it is so, it should be wiped out immediately. There's no place for match fixing in any format of cricket. Strauss said, “For players to be tempted by taking money is ludicrous in my mind.”
The authorities are doing all that they can, but at the same time, the players have got a huge responsibility to ensure that it does not take hold and spread to other players as well. The only way of sorting match-fixing is that the player should step forward and report to the ICC straight away.
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