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Cricket ‘fixers’ from India are a reality

NEW DELHI — Sachin Tendulkar believes his India teammates have never been approached by bookmakers, but the trail in previous matchfixing investigations has often led back to India.

Reacting to the latest betting-related scandal engulfing cricket, Tendulkar said on Friday that in 21 years of international cricket he had “never heard of an Indian player being approached by bookies.”

The International Cricket Council on Thursday suspended Pakistan trio Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir following allegations of ‘spot-fixing’ by a British tabloid that carried out a sting operation.

Mazhar Majeed, the alleged middleman caught up in the sting, claimed to be working for bookmakers in India.

The former girlfriend of one of the players, Mohammad Asif, is also reported to have provided proof of the pace bowler’s contacts with an Indian betting syndicate to ICC anti-corruption officers.

Betting may be illegal in India, but it is also rampant, and there is a history of approaches to players by bookies from the country.

“With so much money belonging to Indians riding on matches, bookies from the country are an unfortunate reality,” said acclaimed sports writer Pradeep Magazine, who acted as a whistleblower in the mid-1990s after he was approached by an Indian bookmaker.

Three Sri Lankan players claimed to have been approached on their tour of Australia in 1992, while Australians Shane Warne and Mark Waugh admitted being in touch with an Indian bookmaker in 1994.

Kiwi skipper Stephen Fleming said in 2004 he had been approached by an Indian to fix matches during the 1999 World Cup, while West Indian Marlon Samuels was banned for two years in 2008 for being in touch with a bookie while touring India.

And in the most high-profile corruption case of all, Dehli Police recorded South African captain Hansie Cronje in conversation with an Indian bookie in 2000.

Subsequent inquiries led to a number of players from the sub-continent being either fined or banned.

Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajay Sharma received life bans, fellow Indian Ajay Jadeja returned to domestic cricket only after winning a court case, while Manoj Prabhakar, another Indian, served out a five-year ban.

“We saw in 2000 that one name led to another,” Magazine told The Associated Press. “Seeing the past, one fears that this may just be the tip of the iceberg yet again.”

Spot betting is common in India and constitutes a major part of the money wagered on matches, with illegal syndicates suspected of links with the underworld.

“Spot-betting is just another form of betting, and spot-fixing just another kind of fixing. In the end, it is all about greed and people who can be bought,” Magazine said.

It is estimated that upward of $1 billion is bet on big matches, such as those at the World Cup, and some feel that betting should be legalized in the country.

Former Indian cricket board president IS Bindra was in favor of legalizing betting around the time the Indian Premier League (IPL) was launched two years ago amid fears of Twenty20 cricket providing more opportunities for fixing matches.

“This (legalizing betting) will not only eliminate things like matchfixing but also generate revenue in millions,” Bindra said. “It is in the interest of the government.”

Magazine says legalizing betting may not eliminate attempts to fix matches, but it could help trap fixers.

“Trends of matches can be traced if the system is legal. In such a scenario, one can zero in on those with odd bets and suspected to be privy to information,” Magazine added.