Cricket Betting: The taint of match-fixing strikes again

Bat and ball / Andrew Hughes / 29 August 2010 / Leave a Comment

Mohammad Amir is at the centre of allegations

"In contrast to UK betting operators like Betfair, who operate transparently within strict regulations, South Asian bookmakers work outside the law..."

It has been a dark day for cricket, thanks to the allegations made in a tabloid newspaper that several members of the current Pakistan squad have taken money from a match-fixer. Andrew Hughes looks at the implications for the sport.

There have been rumours about match-fixing involving Pakistan for months but this morning's allegations in the News Of The World were still shocking, not just for the strong evidence that was presented, but also because of the scope of the allegations, taking in not just no-balls in this Fourth Test at Lord's but stretching back to the Sydney Test match in the winter, the Asian Cup and, potentially involving the upcoming limited overs games with England.

The Hanse Cronje affair was supposed to be the wake-up call for cricket, but despite the creation of the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit and the introduction of measures such as the banning mobile phones in dressing rooms, it seems that match fixers are still operating and that players are still willing to get involved. That these allegations should involve Pakistan should be no surprise, given the chaos and lack of authority present at every level of that country's cricket.

And the reason why match fixing doesn't go away is quite simply that there are colossal sums of money to be made. Billions of dollars are bet on cricket matches in South Asia, where betting on sport is illegal. In contrast to UK betting operators like Betfair, who operate transparently within strict regulations, South Asian bookmakers work outside the law and are inextricably linked with the criminal underworld and people who are prepared to do anything to maximise their profits.

The dangers to cricket of match fixing are serious and obvious. These allegations will inevitably lead people to wonder whether some of the performances they have seen this summer, including perhaps the incredible partnership between Johnathon Trott and Stuart Broad at Lord's were entirely genuine. If this kind of disillusionment sets in, then cricket may find itself in a similar situation to athletics, where a litany of high profile drug cheating cases mean that any athlete who breaks a world record routinely comes under suspicion.

These allegations also cast a cloud over the one day international and Twenty20 series that get under way next month. At the moment, these fixtures are going ahead, but whilst the Pakistan Cricket Board are under no obligation to send home any of the players named in the newspaper, they will be taking the field under a cloud of suspicion and controversy. It might be the prudent thing for the PCB to suspend these players pending the outcome of the investigation.

And when the dust has settled on this eventful and entertaining series, what have we learned about the teams? That Pakistan are a shambles, on and off the field, we already knew. For England, it has been a largely successful Test summer. Looking ahead to the Ashes, the fragility of the batting is a concern, but Graeme Swann has cemented his position as the world's best spinner and Stuart Broad has thrived with the new ball.

Sadly, for the next few days, all cricket conversations will be dominated, once again, by corruption.