Cricket and Match Fixing

Every time you watch a cricket match, especially in India there’s so much an extent of uncertainty looming over you. The pleasure of watching this game lies between the upper and lower limits of success. Rather unfortunate it may sound,but the mention of Match Fixing does come up when you strike a conversation over a cup of tea at work.

Though Match Fixing exists in every game,it’s formal relation was traced in the 80’s when India would play Pakistan on the Dubai turf.Noted and dangerous criminals were seen prowling around the stadium,watching the scintillating suspense that this conflict always offers.Matches were said to be have been fixed then,huge sums of money paid to captains and star players,and some allege, even to the umpires.

However formal definitions were still to come in the new millenium,marking a bitter end to the excitement of the 90’s explosive hard hitting cricket mainly propagated by Sri Lanka.In 1999, Hansie Cronje’s new South African led team came to India,during which calls made by Cronje were bugged,only later confirmed as calls made to bookies(bookmakers or match fixing money dealers).Cronje and Ali Bacher(who was SA Cricket Board chairman) openly denied charges.Yet Cronje’s account and his wife too was a witness to the fact that he had a lot of unsolicited cash.Where from?Hansie then hastily confessed he was involved,and then divulged full information on match fixing in the King Commission(initiated by the Govt.) which was broadcast on national television.

Yet today,Hansie is popular in South Africa, where truth and amnesty are a way of life,but the bitter taste of match fixing has had the world in a fix.Players such as Shane Warne and Mark Waugh and even Herschelle Gibbs got away although they were involved in this fooling of public,but what about players such as Azharuddin and Jadeja who are absolved of their charges,but have lost their career?Even today when you watch India winning a game of cricket and then losing easily next time,your mind says, this match is fixed! Doesn’t it? What then can be done to raise the game from these latitudes and longitues of a gentleman’s game and a bookies game?