Police and crime agencies probe match-fixing world over

In 2000, Indian police were first in unearthing cricket match-fixing; UK, Spanish and Australian police investigate menace of throwing matches in various sports

LAHORE: As Pakistani cricket continues to be plagued by the spectre of match-fixing, both Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) have an extremely important role to play in the coming days and weeks when it comes to investigating corruption in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

The FIA has reportedly initiated this probe on the complaint of Subhan Ahmed, the Chief Operating Officer of the PCB. Subhan Ahmed’s role in PCB: Last year, Subhan Ahmed was summoned by the FIA, along with PCB Chief Financial Officer Badr Manzoor, to know the truth about the alleged illegal appointments – almost three dozen – to the national cricketing body.

Subhan and Badr were also called over to explain the alleged illegalities and misappropriation of funds in the four PCB projects, which included the establishment of a biomechanical laboratory at Gaddafi Stadium, Cricket Academy in Multan, Far End Pavilion at Gaddafi Stadium and the construction of Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Stadium in Larkana.

In its initial findings, the FIA had reportedly detected a Rs8.6 million fake bank guarantee, furnished by a contractor with the connivance of the PCB officials, and an illegal payment of Rs5.6million made to another contractor in two separate projects.

It was alleged that the PCB had dealt with the above-mentioned mobilisation cost (Rs5.6million) separately from the bidding amount and paid it to the contractor.

The FIA had also investigated why consultants were not appointed for the project by the PCB, according to the rules of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority.

The PCB management had maintained that one of its officials — Colonel (retired) Bashir — was involved in wrongdoings and was subsequently sacked.

However, the PCB said it defended its position in the projects by submitting relevant information and documents to the FIA and denied having committed any illegality or wrongdoing.

Later, the PCB had gone on to file counter-claims in the FIA and the Pakistan Engineering Council against illegalities, committed by the complainant firms.

Research shows that in March 2012, as the media archives suggest, Subhan Ahmed had said he would wait for the evidence before jumping to conclusions after a report, published in the UK newspaper, Sunday Times, had quoted a Delhi bookmaker, saying he had fixed international matches including the World Cup semi-final between India and Pakistan.

The Sunday Times had reported that the International Cricket Council (ICC) had decided to launch an inquiry into the claims, made by the Indian bookmaker.

Remember, the Pak-India semi-final was won by the Indian team, as an excessive number of dropped catches by the Pakistani fielders had later ignited a heated debate among fans and experts about the genuineness of the fixture.

The role of Indian police in unearthing cricket match-fixing: It was the Indian police, and not the Indian cricket board, that had charged Hansie Cronje in April 7, 2000 with fixing the one-day matches played against India for money.

The Indian police had released transcripts of an alleged conversation between Cronje and an Indian bookie, Sanjay Chawla.

Three other South African players, Herschelle Gibbs, Nicky Boje and Strydom, were also implicated.

The South African government and its cricket board chief, Ali Bacher, had first denied these transcripts, asserting they would seek an explanation for reports that South African players’ telephones were tapped while on the tour to India.

However, on April 11, 2000, the South African board announced that Hansie Cronje had withdrawn from the series against Australia.Suddenly, Hansie Cronje was sacked after he admitted having been “dishonest” with the board over his activities in India.

Cronje acknowledged receiving 10,000 to 15000 dollars during the one-day series in India, but denies taking part in match fixing.

On April 12, 2000, the Wisden magazine editor Mathew Engel said the Cronje-betting scandal could be linked to the lack of official action over the infamous bet of Rodney Marsh and Dennis Lillee in 1981.

The Editor had stated: “If you go right back to the beginning of this, in 1981 when Lillee and Marsh bet against their own side in a Test match, nothing was done against them. That set the standard of inaction and complacency on the part of cricket’s administrators - that the whole thing did not matter. I found it shameful then and I find it shameful now.’’

On June 7, 2000, the South African King Commission began probing the issue.

The following day, Gibbs revealed that Cronje had offered him $15,000 to score less than 20 runs in the 5th ODI at Nagpur. He also admitted another offer of $15,000 to fast bowler to concede more than 50 runs in that same match.

Gibbs scored 74 off 53 balls and Williams injured his shoulder and couldn’t complete his second over, so neither received the $15,000.

On June 15, 2000, Cronje had released a statement that revealed all his contacts with Indian bookmakers.

On August 28, Gibbs and Williams were suspended from international cricket for six months, besides being fined.

On October 11, Cronje was banned from playing or coaching cricket for life.

It is imperative to note that in June 2000, after days of damaging revelations during the King Commission hearings, Hansie Cronje was offered immunity from criminal prosecution in South Africa if he made a full disclosure about his role in match-fixing.

He had challenged his life ban in September 2001 but on October 17, 2001, his application was dismissed.

It was on October 31, 2000 that several world players were named by bookmaker MK Gupta in the CBI report in India.

These players included Brian Lara, Dean Jones, Alec Stewart, Arjuna Ranatunga, Aravinda de Silva, Martin Crowe and Saleem Malik.

The most damning indictment in the Indian CBI report was of former captain Mohammad Azharuddin, who the report said had confessed to fixing games with the help of colleagues Ajay Jadeja and Nayan Mongia. The CBI also said it has found no concrete evidence against Kapil Dev.

In November 2000, Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva of Sri Lanka were investigated by a one-man commission of inquiry at home. De Silva is dropped from the squad for South Africa.

However, both players were cleared of charges in July 2001 due to “inadequate and untested” evidence.

On November 27, 2000, Mohammad Azharuddin was found guilty of match-fixing, while Ajay Jadeja, Manoj Prabhakar, Ajay Sharma and former Indian team physio Ali Irani were found guilty of having links with bookies.

In December 2000, India’s cricketing authorities had slapped a life ban on Azharuddin, and Ajay Jadeja for five years for their role in match-fixing.

Ajay Sharma was also banned from the game for life, while Prabhakar and the Indian team’s former physio, Ali Irani, were barred from holding any official post in Indian cricket for five years.

Jadeja’s ban was overturned by the Delhi High Court in January 2003, saying there was no proof of his guilt. In May 2003, the court ruled that Jadeja should be allowed to play domestic cricket.

It was during this time of year 2000 that South African Cricket Board President Ali Bacher had alleged the World Cup match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, which Pakistan lost, had raised the most concern. He indicated that Pakistan were suspected of throwing matches and says that Pakistani umpire Javed Akhtar was also under suspicion for the way he handled South Africa’s 1998 tour of England when he gave nine lbws in the last Test.

In 2007, the International Cricket Council president Malcolm Gray had revealed a judicial inquiry would begin shortly; this time looking at allegations how and why Pakistan had thrown two matches in the 1999 World Cup in England.

 Role of British, Spanish and Australian police/ crime agencies in probing sports match fixing

In February 2014, Pakistan left-handed opener Nasir Jamshed was arrested by Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) alongside a bookie named Yousuf.

In September 2013, London’s Metropolitan police had interviewed Pakistani cricketers Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir for the second time since the allegations had surfaced that the three had agreed to bowl no balls in specific overs of the 2010 Test match at Lord’s in return for money.

They were initially questioned in August 2010 when the News of the World newspaper broke the story and had their mobile phones seized by the police.

In December 2013, according to the BBC, the British National Crime Agency had arrested renowned Football striker, DJ Campbell, in connection with a spot-fixing inquiry.

Campbell had agreed a two-year contract understood to be worth in excess of £1      million each year, but injury problems had restricted him to just five first-team appearances this season.

Not long ago, as the Associated Press had reported, Spanish authorities had detained 34 people, including six tennis players, involved in a tennis match-fixing network that made more than half-a-million dollars from lower-tier tournaments in Spain and Portugal.

Police said they probed several Futures and Challenger tournaments in Iberia for the past several months and found evidence that results were rigged.

In June 2016, the Australian National Rugby League said it was cooperating with a New South Wales police investigation into allegations of match fixing in the sport.

New South Wales police had confirmed the organised crime squad was looking into some matches.

In September 2016, a senior Rugby player’s phone was reportedly been seized and Australian police had interviewed at least six current stars as part of the match-fixing investigations.

In Australia, the Crimes Amendment Act, which came into effect in December 2014, gives police greater powers to investigate corruption in sport.