***Official*** Spot-Fixing Scandal

[Uppercut]

 

[weldone]

They've dropped the ball on that one.

 

[The_Bunny]

And even then it's not like "oh no they're going to face trial for treason", no some random lawyer has tried to initiate treason proceedings against them.

Publicity stunt surely, hard to take treason allegations seriously in this case

 

[andyc]

Publicity stunt surely, hard to take treason allegations seriously in this case

Nah, they must just be stumped.

 

[Matt79]

Don't know whether people have seen the comments by Haddin and Watson regarding the approaches they received, and reported, during their recent tour in England:
SEN SportSENtral > Article

Depressing stuff, although at least it sounds like they did the right thing.

Interesting that it was reported to CA and presumably the ICC, and yet not made public. You wonder how many approaches have been reported but not publicised in recent times. I imagine the players themselves are asked not to highlight it by the authorities.

 

[The_Bunny]

Pretty sure I remember the Watson incident being on cricinfo, though surprisingly it wasnt on the news here

 

[Uppercut]

At least one and quite possibly both of those incidents were made public.

 

[Matt79]

whooosh I guess. I don't remember them in the news. Probably says more about the media I suppose.

EDIT: You're quite right. I don't know whether the players were named, but the fact an approach was made to two players at that hotel was reported:
http://www.cricinfo.com/engvaus2009/content/story/420254.html

 

[Noble One]

The Watson/Haddin/Lee/Johnson incidents highlight that nearly every cricketer is at risk of falling pray to illegal bookmakers. I cannot think of a worse group of cricketers to approach. These are some of Australia's highest paid and highest profile cricketers. Imagine the amount of unheard cases of these approaches occurring?

These stories make me more and more sceptical of the number of games over the past decade that in some way have been influenced by the actions of cricketers under the influence of bookmakers money.

 

[fromage]

Just shows that the illegal bookies don't give a monkoies about anyone or anything except money.The players can go hang and the sport of cricket is just a way to make money .

 

[Matt79]

I suppose the bookies here had the example of Shane Warne, who was the highest paid and profiled cricketer in Aus at the time, not exactly running a mile when 'John' wanted to make friends. Probably reflects that Watson and Haddin have better judgement than Warne that they rebuffed it, but also probably that the Oz team management have made more efforts in this regard since the Warne/Waugh fiasco.

Highlights that the players do need to have their wits about them. You're in your hotel getting your breakfast at the buffet. A bloke walks up and says how much he enjoyed seeing you in the IPL and maybe he can buy you a drink while you're at the hotel. Would happen every time you went out. Do you tell him to get ****ed on principle, perhaps particularly because he's Indian? Would be a pretty toolish attitude. At least Watson was smart enough to recognise when the guy became unduly persistent and report it.

 

[Noble One]

A friend pointed out this thread and quote;

Angry Pakistanis pelt donkeys in protest at fixing - PakPassion - Pakistan Cricket Forum

I had a chuckle at this comment.

Quote from dirk diggler: "its an insult to compare the disgrace cricketers to donkeys...donkeys are hardworking, honest creature"

 

[Matt79]

Poor donkeys, must be sitting there thinking "what did we do to deserve this".

Just for Burgey and the other Pooh fans out there:

 

[vcs]

Poor donkeys.

 

[Kyle]

Sky News reporting 3 related arrests. Not players, and possibly related to money laundering.

 

[Edged&Taken]

everyone so cheerful in that dressing room ceremony

 

[GuyFromLancs]

It's a shame because it really brings into question a number of things including Pakistan's terrible outfielding (effectively a 12th batsman for any team) and not to mention their awful misuse of the referral system. How many did they get wrong compared to England? Balls hitting middle and off not appealed, ones drifting a mile down leg appealed, not to mention similar waste when they were batting.

It's a shame because the above are probably owed to honest incompetence and bad preperation rather than corruption, but will be viewed with a degree of suspicion now by the rest of the world game.

Sad

 

[Spark]

I'd disagree with that though, after the first test I reckon they were pretty good with referrals and by the end they were actually using it better than most teams I've seen.

 

[Pratters]

I can't believe I'm hearing sympathy for any of these players. Amir is 18. When I was 18 I knew spot fixing was wrong. He's not 4. At the very least he's an incredibly spineless cheat, at the worst he's a filthy match fixing cheat.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[Faisal1985]

Lets get this thing straightened out. NOTW did not ask Majeed to have the no balls bowled.

The Majeed character has been going around trying to rpmote his "business" of 'fixing' cricket matches for the benefit of his clients existing or potential.

The NOTW reporters contacted him pretending to be a far east betting syndicate and wanted to know how could Majeed assure them he was not just making idle boast.

In order to prove his credentials, of his hold over the Pakistani cricketers, of beinmg able to get them to do his bidding, he suggested a small 'trailer' if you please; of 'relatively harmless' (as far as the game and any actual betting is concerned) preview of what he could do.

So he said he could make them bowl no balls on the exact balls of the exact over and gave the over and ball number off the cuff.

When asked who would bowl the particular overs he said so and so. All this NOT FOR ANY SPOT FIXING as the media has been crying hoarse, but just to advertise the quality of his 'product/services' if you please.

And then he delivered on his promise.

To watch the tapes live and to see what actually happened is shocking even when one is convinced that this kind of thing is happening regularly.

To say that these are allegations and not yet proven is okay from the point of view of protecting one's backside from legal action by the defendants but to believe that this entire thing is some elaborate hoax is to deny that your ancestors were apes; and claim the ostrich as a recent grand grand grand . . . parent.

Yes the bowlers concerned were not doing any great harm to the game in question by those three no balls at least but surely it showed what a hold these guys have over these cricketers.

To say that salman butt was not involved is to show complete lack of logical reasoning. How could it be assured that the 'right' bowler bowled the particular over without the captain being involved?

To say that only the Pakistani cricketers do such things is to show naiveté, bias, a holier than thou attitude or a combination of one or more of these. having said that the fact is that it is Pakistan who have been embroiled in it so often, they are the ones that are being caught with the hand in the cookie jar, they are the ones that are squealing on their team-mates and so they have to face the music.

To ask for Pakistan to be banned from Test cricket because their cricketers are involved is unfair but it is not unfair to ask Pakistan to take stringent and IRREVOCABLE action or else is completely fair and necessary.

That Mr Pawar, a senior minister from a country that has serious political issues going back over sixty years with Pakistan, is the President of ICC is yet another reason to bemoan the pre-eminence of politicians in sporting bodies. He is in between a rock and a hard place today and he does not know what to do.

The only people who have genuine stakes in the game and who should be expected to do the right thing in this situation is the poor hapless Pakistani cricket fans. One's heart goes out to them but how one wishes they would put their knee-jerk reactions, defensive or otherwise, aside and realise what an unholy mess their cricket and their country is in.

It doesn't matter whether the rest of the world is being fair to them or not. They need to ask themselves whether they are being fair to their country's and their cricket's long term future. Sentimentality and trying to put up a front before the rest of the world wont help anything except pamper our personal egos. Unfortunately the bruises to our egos, howsoever severe, are the least of our problems in such crisis. Their are much more serious and urgent issues at stake.

We dont have to listen to the shameless leaders who are crying," Its a moment of shame for our country". Yes these leaders have brought greater shame to our countries than the cricketers but we are discussing the cricketers now and we need to set our house in order.

I may be excused for using the first person even when talking of the Pakistani fans but as always, I feel a strong sense of affinity to my brothers across the border and wish them well.

Thank you for this post brother....The best post in this thread so far. Putting apples and oranges separately and clarified a lot of things for me....