Cricketers may deny it, officials might condemn it and fans might loathe the term, but the truth of the matter is that Match Fixing Still Exists in international cricket, despite International Cricket Council’s denials. How else could a team like Graeme Smith’s mighty South Africans be tamed like cubs against the most unpredictable of sides (India and Pakistan) in the tournament? Why is it that India always wins against South Africa despite being underdogs and less talented on paper.
The troika of India-Australia-South Africa which began the Champions League is the Axis of Evil in cricket. I may not have any proof but actions speaks louder than words. When the Mohinder Amarnath Benefit One Day Match was played between South Africa and India on 14th December, 1996, no one claimed that it was an unfair match. After all, Gary Kirsten, the current Indian coach and the then master blaster for the Protease had kept wickets in place of the regular keeper Dave Richardson before. But when Gary Kirsten made startling revelations about Hansie Cronje after the latter's death, he cited the very match that had been fixed to give India a chance to end the year with records in their lap. Not only did Sachin Tendulkar score a century (which he would have without the fix part) but it showed to the world that India was a better side than South Africa (which they weren’t).
Kirsten’s allegations offered insights into Cronje’s obsession with money and his involvement with match-fixing. The left-handed opener wrote that Cronje asked the whole team deliberately to under perform, addressing the entire squad, in the absence of coach Bob Woolmer. He also wrote that only Daryll Cullinan and Andrew Hudson spoke against the fix, and surprisingly, those two were the only ones to show resistance in the match the Indians won by 74 runs. Gary Kirsten was part of the match as a wicket keeper after Dave Richardson pulled out at the last minute for unknown reasons, and made just 1 run, capping his most amazing year with a failure. That was the same year he made 188 not out in the World Cup against United Arab Emirates and also scored some good knocks afterwards.
And then there was the high scoring match between Australia and South Africa in Johannesburg 4 years back which was not only the series decider but where both the side scored in access of 430, with South Africa winning the match by 1 run. Their hero was Herschelle Gibbs with 175 runs, and it must be mentioned that he was Cronje’s partner in crime, although he was never charged along side Nicky Boje. In that high scoring match, Australia fielded Mick Lewis (who????) and bowled him at the death, and he was hit for 113 runs in his 10 overs. Only Nathan Bracken bowled his full quota in the match, while Brett lee bowled 7.5 overs, Stuart Clark 6, Michael Clarke 7 and Andrew Symonds 9. Strange, isn’t it? But it happens only in South Africa where betting may be illegal but match fixing doesn’t seem to fall in the same category!
Fast forward to 2010, and one feels the South Africans deliberately played to lose against Pakistan, for reasons better known to them. They could have won the match but that alone would not have guaranteed them a place in the next round. So what do they do? They open the innings with an over-the-hill Herschelle Gibbs, let AB de Villiers play the stupidest of shots known to man and send Albie Morkel, the master blaster, after the out-of-form JP Duminy and Mark Boucher!
There is never smoke without fire, and although many or all might not agree with this analysis, it might prove to be true in coming years. No one even suspected the Mumbai clash in 1996, but that Clash of the Titans proved to be nothing much than a Tom & Jerry cartoon, where the mouse got the cheese, like always!
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