Confidential ICC report claims some 2011 Cricket World Cup matches were fixed
Saturday, 5 April 2014 00:19
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Betting and match-fixing have long been hot topics of discussion in cricketing circles and among fans, but for the first time a report of the International Cricket Council’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) has revealed how players are approached and trapped by these networks.
The confidential report hints that some matches of the 2011 World Cup, which Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men won on home turf, and the fourth season of the Indian Premier League, which followed soon after, were not clean.
A total of 470 matches and more than 200 practice sessions were covered by the ACSU to compile the report. The mastermind of this illegal network is known only as SB, and was first observed and tagged by ACSU in early 2010. His activities have been closely followed.
SB and his associates - codenamed AZ and BRY - were found making several attempts to approach players, who were advised by ACSU to stay clear of these individuals.
The ACSU went to great lengths to keep a tab on these bookmakers and fixers.
“Five mobile numbers were identified and itemised billing details obtained for each. SB’s each move, including trips to Sri Lanka and Dubai in 2011, were tracked, as were his business dealings,” the report states.
According to the ACSU, two players who were approached reported the contact.
But SB is not the only cricketing villain under scanner. Another agent, codenamed VG, has been active in London for over a year.
ACSU believes he was in touch with two persons - possibly players - who gave him and his assistant ASK match information. Several high-profile players of different teams were believed to be in contact with these bookies. The 41-page report also identifies ‘JS’, one of the top bookies in the country, who has cases against him in both India and Britain. JS allegedly contacted the brother of a top international player offering him the equivalent of rupees 50 lakhs to throw a match.
Thanks to the revelations, the 2010 ODI series between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe fell on ACSU’s radar. These matches were the topic of discussion between JS, a former Kenya captain and a Zimbabwe-based bookie for over five months. More than a 115 calls were made, allegedly to fix matches.
To keep its investigation strictly confidential, the ACSU hid the real identities of these bookies even from the ICC Board. There are several such bookies on the radar of the cricketing police and the ACSU believes these men were only the tip of the iceberg.
To prevent players from getting into the clutches of these miscreants, the anti-corruption squad remains in constant touch with players and is gaining intelligence about suspect individuals. In this endeavour, ACSU cultivates its own informers and works in tandem with various other intelligence and security agencies. (Source: www.dailymail.co.uk)
