Match Fixing Under The Garb Of Sponsorship
Bookmakers have made millions off the game of cricket. With the aid of certain players, matches can be turned around and favoured those that have bet millions on the game. The International Cricket Council has come down hard on such activities, and many former players have had to do the walk of shame, such as former South African captain Hansie Cronje. However that has not stopped the bookies, who are now trying an alternative route to legitimise their illegal activities. This time a new tactic has been adopted under the façade of ‘sponsorship’.
Media in England has been splashed with news of players being approached by bookmakers. A county cricketer admitted that he was contacted by an Indian businessman to change the course of a domestic match. That very same day the skipper of Bangladesh Shakib al- Hasan confessed that he was once approached by an individual who claimed that he wanted to act as Hasan’s ‘sponsor’. This revelation came when a reporter questioned Hasan about illegal activities surrounding the game of cricket, a day before Bangladesh was due to begin its first test at Lords. Hasan detailed the incident, saying it took place in 2008 during the home series against Ireland. He said a man called him just once and requested to be his sponsor, but then never heard back from him again. Sensing something suspicious was going on, even though the individual never asked him directly to fix any match, Hasan reported this incident to the International Cricket Council’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU). The then head of the ACU, late Colonel Noor from Pakistan said they had taken care of the incident and it was never spoken of again until two and a half years later.
Hasan admits that this sort of an approach sent shockwaves down his spine as prior to this he had only heard about such incidents. He said he came to play International cricket not to make some extra money but for the pride of his nation. Moreover Hasan is just one of the many players who have protected themselves from falling prey to this menace of match fixing. There are however some players in the cricket fraternity who would want to make a quick extra buck by throwing away a match. Greed then breeds more greed and pretty soon without realising a cricketer may get sucked into this entangled web. There are certain times when the bookmakers are willing to pay the cricketer any amount they please. This happened in the case of the English county player, who said he could quote his own price for giving the bookmaker information about the match. Without revealing any names, the county player revealed that whereas he turned down the offer there are many players in the county circuit who are unwilling to say no.
These county matches are televised in India, thus the involvement of the Indian businessman. It is alleged that most of these illegal betting rings originate from Asia, and they are the ones that provide the requisite funds that pay the cricketers and sometimes also the officials.
These incidents came to light just a few weeks after Pakistani spinner Danish Kaneria and his Essex team mate Mervyn Westfield were arrested to investigate into the incident of spot fixing.
They were however, later bailed out. Spot fixing is another means of match fixing, whereby a player is paid for performing a certain number of tasks such as bowling an agreed upon number of no-balls or wides. Interestingly bookmakers have found various inroads in the game of cricket to make money. The authorities are being vigilant but it is the players who eventually have to shoulder the responsibility of eliminating this menace from the game.
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