In this article, we will examine some of the biggest names associated with cricket match fixing scandals.
Cricket match fixing refers to the illegal activity of determining or influencing the outcome of a cricket match in advance through bribery, deliberate underperformance, or other corrupt practices. Cricket fixing has been prevalent since the 1990s but gained significant notoriety in the 2000s when some stellar cricketers were caught in match fixing traps.
The motives behind cricket match fixing are usually gambling-related. Bookmakers and betters entice or coerce players into underperforming or influencing outcomes to gain financial windfalls from bets they have placed on predetermined results. Match fixers usually target high-profile tournaments and games where a lot of money is at stake.
Some of the biggest names in cricket have fallen from grace due to their involvement in match-fixing activities. Their actions have irreparably tarnished the reputation of the gentleman's game. Strict punitive measures have been instituted by cricketing bodies to curb this menace, but it still rears its ugly head from time to time.
Hansie Cronje
The first cricket superstar, Hansie Cronje, a former captain of South Africa, was accused of the match-fixing allegations. Cronje was charged by Delhi police with fixing some events during South Africa's ODI series in India earlier this year. Cronje admitted to accepting more than $100,000 from an Indian bookmaker in order to predetermine the results of some matches. The scandal was revealed with the help of Delhi police, who managed to get recordings of Cronje communicating with an Indian bookmaker about already-arranged match results. Cronje's confession and lifetime ban left the cricket community reeling.
The Cronje match fixing scandal was a mega surprise to the cricketing world because he had been regarded as an excellent captain and ideal role model. Captain Cronje contributed a great deal when he led the South African team to new successes. His match-fixing admission was a heavy blow to South African cricket. Cronje was finally given a life ban in professional cricket. This episode made it clear that cricket match fixing has become a global disease, and no team could avoid it.
Mohammad Azharuddin
Mohammad Azharuddin is another one of the most successful Indian cricket captains of the 1990s. With his captaincy, the Indians won more ODI matches than any other previous captain. However, his professional career ended badly due to his implication in the 2000 Cronje match fixing scandal. Indian police had recorded conversations and testimonies of players that indicated his involvement.
Azharuddin was said to have introduced Cronje to an Indian bookmaker and taken large amounts of money in order to rig matches. Azharuddin first denied the allegations; he later admitted to fixing three ODI matches. He was banned for life by the BCCI, and despite being an outstanding captain, he remains one of Indian cricket's tarnished figures.
Saleem Malik
Saleem Malik was a stalwart Pakistani batsman who captained his country in the 1990s. He was known for his gritty batting abilities. In 2000, the Justice Qayyum commission found Malik guilty of match fixing and banned him for life based on audio evidence submitted to the inquiry.
Malik was said to have accepted bribes from bookmakers to underperform in ODIs against Sri Lanka and Australia. He also tried to influence teammates into fixing matches. Malik's exploits made him the first high-profile Pakistani cricketer to be penalized for cricket match fixing. His life ban set a precedent for strict action on corruption.
Mohammed Amir, Salman Butt, and Mohammad Asif
In 2010, Pakistani cricketers Mohammed Amir, Salman Butt, and Mohammad Asif were caught in an elaborate match-fixing operation executed by the British tabloid News of the World. An undercover journalist had paid the players through a middleman to deliberately overstep while bowling.
The trio were found guilty of deliberately bowling no-balls to order during Pakistan's 4th Test against England at Lord's in return for bribes from a bookmaker. Then Captain Salman Butt conspired with the bookie Mazhar Majeed to entrap the young bowlers Amir and Asif. Video evidence showed the players accepting money and agreeing to fix events.
The scandal was a blow to Pakistani cricket. Butt received a 10-year ban, Asif a 7-year ban, and Amir was banned for 5 years. The prodigiously talented Amir has since made an international comeback, but his achievements remain tainted.
Lou Vincent
Former New Zealand opening batsman Lou Vincent admitted to fixing matches in several domestic T20 leagues around the world during 2011–2013. After being confronted with evidence, Vincent confessed to being approached by bookmakers and fixing aspects of matches in return for payment.
Some of the leagues where Vincent indulged in fixing include the now-defunct Indian Cricket League (ICL), Bangladesh Premier League, and Champions League T20 tournament. Vincent revealed he had succumbed to the temptation for easy money. He received bans up to life for his transgressions and became a pariah in cricket circles.
Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila, and Ankeet Chavan
In 2013, Indian fast bowler Sreesanth and spinners Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan were arrested by Delhi police on charges of spot-fixing in Indian Premier League (IPL) matches. Police had gathered hundreds of hours of audio evidence pointing to coordinated spot-fixing.
The players allegedly gave away a predetermined minimum number of runs in certain overs in return for payment from illegal bookmakers. The episode dealt a massive blow to the credibility of the IPL. Sreesanth was banned for life by the BCCI, while Chandila received a life ban and Chavan a 5-year ban. It highlighted the vulnerability of players to corruption.
Conclusion
Cricket match fixing scandals involving famous cricketers have repeatedly highlighted how vulnerable the sport is to corruption and greed. While stringent disciplinary actions serve as deterrents, the lure of easy money continues to seduce players into illegal match-fixing activities.
Governing bodies must persist with education, surveillance, and robust investigative mechanisms to counter cricket match fixing. The sanctity of the game depends on keeping it free of any vestiges of deceitful practices. Zero tolerance must be shown to both high-profile and lower-rung players who smear the sport through involvement in cricket fixer plots.
