Bookie Claims SL-India Match Was Fixed
Amidst the shocking revelations of ‘spot fixing’ of cricket matches by Pakistani players, a top Indian bookmaker has now revealed that the December 15, 2009 India- Sri Lanka One-day match at Rajkot in India was ‘suspicious.’ “Saaf nahi tha (it wasn’t clean),” he has told Times Of India on Friday (3). The bookmaker had insisted that he is not involved in the player-bookie nexus.
In that match Sri Lanka won the toss, elected to field and India ran amok scoring 414 runs on a placid track. In reply, Sri Lanka rode on Tillakaratne Dilshan’s massive 160 and almost chased the target before falling short by 3 runs. Sri Lanka bowled 27 extras in the game, India bowled 21 and a total of 825 runs were scored at the Madhavrao Scindia ground that day.
“Sri Lanka were 401/5 with just 14 more runs needed from seven balls. The bets were coming in fast because punters wanted to balance the stakes. At the start, India looked firm favourites and there were almost no takers for a Sri Lanka win. But towards the end, it all became a frenzy,” the bookie had told TOI.
Speaking to The Sunday Leader Interim Committee Secretary of Sri Lanka Cricket, Nishantha Ranatunga said he had heard about the story but had not had any official intimation from the ICC’s Anti Corruption Unit on any such matter upto now.
“The ICC’s Anti Corruption Unit keeps a close tab on these matters and we have not heard anything about this particular match. If at all there is any substance to the claims it is not Sri Lanka Cricket but the ICC unit that will go into the matter. That is how it works,” said Ranatunga.
Meanwhile according to the TOI report, towards the end of the match in question the bookmaker had received a text message on his mobile. The sender had been a 20-year-old boy from Rajasthan who earlier used to work for him as a cleaner. He wrote: “Sab saude kaat do, aur call mat lena. India match le jar raha hai (Cancel all deals and don’t take any further bets. India is winning the game).”
The bookmaker had told TOI instinct made him listen to his former employee and he turned out right. India won by three runs.
What was behind the SMS may never be known but the bookie continues to harp on the rumour of the amount of money that was transacted that night. “I am told that money around Rs 28 crore ($ 7m) changed hands that night,” he has told TOI.
It is for the relevant authorities to try and see if there was any truth to the allegations. The bookie also went on to add a little more after his ‘fixing’ theory. “That was the last match that I heard was suspicious. I can also say that Indian players are clean. They’re among the most impeccable, especially the senior players,” he says.
With skeletons tumbling out of the Pakistan closet, it is disturbing that there is talk of a fixed game played less than a year back in India. And one man, claims he has circumstantial evidence to prove it happened.
“Baseless allegations are being made. It is upto the ICC Anti Corruption Unit to investigate these claims. We cannot comment on the matter until then,” said Ranatunga.
Attempts to contact captain Kumar Sangakkara proved futile.
Just check out. This may be a trap by certain parties to weaken potential winners ahead of the world cup. They want certain team and players out of the tournament. Why are these reports coming out now ? I am waiting to see whether any English and Aussy players were involved.
This is indeed the beginning of a conspiracy. I have mentioned this before in one of my earlier comments. There will be nothing mentioned about the ‘clean’ Brits and Aussies. The Sub-Continent teams have become a real threat to them and this is the game plan.
We don’t have to be cynical this time. These are coming out now because Pakistani players were caught trying to fix England-Pakistan matches last week. Now the investigations have been launched and the players are spilling the beans. Today there are more revelations where the pakistan’s openning bat Hameed says his team mates fixed one Aussie match for some large money. This is an Indian-Pakistani trend, that got into a few of our people for sure. Immediately after 1996 world cup win, there was a very suspicious match in Singapore between SL-Pakistan but the allegations were proven baseless by the ‘”our cricket board” and “our police”.
Your points are very valid, Ruwan, but why are all these allegations surfacing just on the threshold of the World Cup? And why nothing comes up against the Brits or Aussies or even for that matter, the Kivis and the South Africans?Surely, are they that clean? All this is trying to say something!
Geronimo,
Probably, Brits and the rest are careful but the silly Pakistani lot are getting caught and it spirals out of control. Just imagine,how foolish they are! After all that carnage last week, where they saw they ost potential match winners and the captain, still another guy is talking to the secret camera today! He sells all what they chieved in the last decade making everybody else uncomfortable as well.
As far as English cricket is concern its stil a clean team. Never heard anything suspicious about england. The last controversy was that ‘dirty dozen’ led by Graham Gooch, way back, but that too was not illegal.
There was lot of controversies about the Kangaroos and many a times Mark waugh, Shane warne etc were mentioned but, Aussies like the USA knows how to protect their own people and put the blame on others. South Africa of course had few cases including late Hanse Cronje. Hershelle Gibbs & Nicki Boje were reluctant to go to India last time when playing IPL.
Pakistan team got no clue like its Cricker Board and anyone can set up a trap agaisnt them. I am surprised to hear SL now. We will knw more facts soon. There can be one or two blacksheeps. Usually we are a clean team though. Two nations distroying cricket are India – with its money and too much of unnecesary boasting and Australia – with its technology and modernisation, which is no good for ‘natural’ Cricket at all. Also these two play cricket only to WIN.
Ban bets after the start of a match. That is one solution.
Often they seem to fix matches after agreeing with the players, well before the start of the macth.
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this is another conspirasy or racket. We are nom fools to believe those.
Guys can you tell me if the present sri lankan player under investigation IS t. dilshan. Say it aint so!
dilshan is under investigation for a incident against a women when touring zimbabwe.it has nothing to do with this match fixing in my view.but again like someone mentioned below this seem to be a planned conspiracy.world cup is in the sub continent and pakistan is now with problems in match fixing.other major country in the region with a good chance is sri lanka.so these conspirators went far as a year to find a suspitiouse match to target sri lanka.we must act quickly and effeciently so our players wont be hurt but this rubbish and turn thire attention from winning the world cut to these rubbish.and it is a laughing matter saying indian players are not involve with match fixing.all major match fixing is done in india.indian players are the one who can take such a risk for loades of money which can come in a indian match.so for me indian players are the most suspiciouse when it comes for match fixing..so ICC must invistigate indian among other countries like australia,new zealnad.south africa.etc..
eXACTLY. mATCHFIXING emanates from India. It is multi billion dollar industry in India. Bookies there travel all over the world trying to seduce cricketers. I am surprised why this sting operation was done on M Amir M asif why not on indian players? Scared of the BCCI perhaps.
AND now news stories that kumar sangakarra reported dilshan for links with a bookie. All very mysterious I must say.