Fixing?

Match fixing is everywhere, it seems. In the aftermath of the World Cup semi-final between India and Pakistan there were plenty of people quick to cry foul over the number of dropped catches, particularly of Sachin Tendulkar, in the India innings. Hashan Tillakaratne’s allegations about match fixing in Sri Lankan cricket and the aftermath of last summer’s spot fixing scandal suggest that the game is mired in corruption.

There seems little doubt that there are incidents where certain outcomes are fixed to the benefit of gamblers due to a combination of greed and coercion. The evidence against Amir, Asif and Butt was damning and the details of Tillakaratne’s allegations will be fascinating, but that doesn’t mean that every surprising action or every moment of incompetence is automatically corrupt.

Those seeking to gain a financial advantage from foxing aspects of cricket matches are looking for a guaranteed return that is not subject to outside interference, which is why deliberate no balls, especially when they are as blatant as that which Amir delivered at Lord’s, are such an attractive proposition. It is worth bearing in mind that Hansie Cronje was rewarded at Centurion in 2000 not for determining the result but for ensuring that there was one after three days of heavy rain. It didn’t matter to those who stood to gain whether it was England or South Africa who won since that was beyond their control.

This brings us back to the dropped catches in the World Cup semi-final. Those crying foul have not been able to provide a credible reason for those dropped catches being of any great use to a corrupt gambler. It seems unthinkable, for example, that the catches were dropped in order to help Sachin Tendulkar to make a half century since there are so many other imponderables that could hamper the bet, such as him dragging a wide delivery onto his stumps or being out leg before (as so nearly happened). It seems far more likely that the catches were dropped due to the pressure of the occasion and poor basic technique, an area in which Pakistan have considerable previous.

There is little doubt that there is still considerable corruption in the game, but we don’t help ourselves by seeing it at every turn. It is only a short step from having a healthy level of skepticism to being a conspiracy theory nutjob, after all.