Man arrested for ‘pitch-siding’ at Pindi Stadium

RAWALPINDI: A pitch-sider Thursday was arrested and handed over to the security agencies after he confessed to work for a Dubai-based spot-fixing syndicate on the opening day of the second Test here at the Pindi Stadium.

‘The News’ has learnt from the sources keeping a tight check on such practices that a person in his mid-twenties was arrested after he was found passing on all first-hand information to Dubai-based match-fixing mafia.

The person, who entered the stadium as a vendor working for DJ, was seen continuously passing on all the updates to Dubai. After close monitoring, he was arrested and handed over to the FIA where he confessed his crime.

“The man was spotted and monitored for all his actions. He was arrested and handed over to the FIA where he confessed to have contacts with the syndicate for which he was working. He is now in the custody of FIA where he would be dealt accordingly,” the source added.

Since there is a second gap between the live-action on the ground and the video signals reaching homes, such pitch-siders give ball to ball update, allowing the spot-fixing mafia to take the bets on each delivery.

“This all happens quickly helping the spot-fixers know in hand what is happening and then to take bets and make money. We stay in the hunt for such persons who usually enter the ground in such a restricted environment in one capacity or the other. We have succeeded in nabbing him just at the start of the Test,” the source said.